We aimed to determine the effect of taurine on changes in the expression of genes responsible for the main pathways of energy metabolism, inflammatory response, and regenerative activity during the cultivation of blood cells and articular cartilage explants from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at a late stage of the disease, in the presence of taurine.

Culturing blood cells from 20 RA patients in the presence of 50 μM taurine resulted in a significant increase in the expression of genes involved in energy metabolism and cellular activity, including pyruvate kinase (PKM2), succinate dehydrogenase (SDHB), uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), ATP synthase subunit beta (ATP5B), and unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1).

In cartilage explants, taurine also stimulated the expression of SDHB and UCP2 genes, with a slight increase in ULK1 expression (p=0.07) which was assessed using real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). Additionally, taurine exposure led to a significant decrease in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) gene expression. Notably, culturing articular cartilage explants with taurine significantly increased the expression of the type II collagen gene (COL2A1).

Conclusions: Taurine exerts a beneficial effect on energy metabolism in both blood cells and cartilage explants, as evidenced by increased expression of genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and autophagy, along with decreased expression of the inflammatory marker TNFα. Unlike cartilage chondrocytes, taurine also enhanced glycolytic activity and increased ATP synthase gene expression in blood cells. The increased expression of COL2A1 suggests a potential regenerative benefit of taurine for chondrocytes in cartilage explants of RA patients.

Elena Tchetina is a Leading Scientist and Principal Investigator at the Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia, where she has served since October 2006. Her research primarily focuses on the role of metabolic signaling pathways in the progression of rheumatic diseases, with particular emphasis on inflammation, pain perception, joint destruction, and therapeutic response. Dr. Tchetina has made significant contributions to the field through her extensive research and has authored more than 100 publications in SCI(E)-indexed peer-reviewed journals.