Behavioral and Pharmacological Effects of Taurine in Mice

Taurine is a prominent and naturally occurring organic acid which has found its way into the diet of millions of people. Taurine is found in massive quantities within the energy drinks that have become increasingly popular in the last few decades. Though previous research has deemed taurine safe to consume, little is known about the effects of taurine in high doses or chronic doses. This study investigates the effect that various doses of taurine have on CD‐1 mice at both acute and chronic conditions. The motor coordination and activity levels of mice were observed for 20, 50, 100, and 200mg doses, which represented the acute condition, and also were observed after three weeks of ad libitum drinking of 1% or 5% taurine solution, which represented the chronic condition. The results showed that taurine has dose‐dependent effects that differ between levels of exposure. These findings indicate that acute doses of taurine may be beneficial in increasing bursts of movements, but repeated exposure to taurine may have adverse effects on coordination, overall movement time, and stereotypical movements.