Taurine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, occurs at high concentrations in the skin, and plays a role in maintaining the homeostasis of the skin. We investigated the effects of aging on the content and localization of taurine in the skin of mice and rats. Taurine was extracted from the skin samples of hairless mice and Sprague Dawley rats, and the taurine content of the skin was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results of the investigation revealed that the taurine content in both the dermis and epidermis of hairless mice declined significantly with age. Similar age-related decline in the skin taurine content was also observed in rats. In contrast, the taurine content in the sole remained unchanged with age. An immunohistochemical analysis also revealed a decreased skin taurine content in aged animals compared with younger animals, although no significant differences in the localization of taurine were observed between the two age groups. Supplementation of the drinking water of aged mice with 3% (w/v) taurine for 4 weeks increased the taurine content of the epidermis, but not the dermis. The present study showed for the first time that the taurine content of the skin decreased with age in mice and rats, which may be related to the impairment of the skin homeostasis observed with aging. The decreased taurine content of the epidermis in aged animals was able to be rescued by taurine supplementation.

牛磺酸是一种含硫氨基酸，以高浓度存在于皮肤中，在维持皮肤稳态方面发挥作用。我们研究了衰老对小鼠和大鼠皮肤中牛磺酸的含量和定位的影响。从无毛小鼠和Sprague Dawley大鼠的皮肤样品中提取牛磺酸，采用高效液相色谱法(HPLC)测定皮肤中的牛磺酸含量。调查结果显示，无毛小鼠真皮和表皮中的牛磺酸含量随着年龄的增长而显着下降。在大鼠中也观察到类似的与年龄相关的皮肤牛磺酸含量下降。相比之下，鞋底中的牛磺酸含量随着年龄的增长保持不变。免疫组织化学分析还显示，与年轻动物相比，老年动物的皮肤牛磺酸含量降低，但在两个年龄组之间没有观察到牛磺酸定位的显着差异。用 3% (w/v) 牛磺酸补充老年小鼠的饮用水 4 周会增加表皮的牛磺酸含量，但不会增加真皮。本研究首次表明小鼠和大鼠皮肤中的牛磺酸含量随着年龄的增长而降低，这可能与随着衰老观察到的皮肤稳态受损有关。老年动物表皮中减少的牛磺酸含量可以通过补充牛磺酸来挽救。用 3% (w/v) 牛磺酸补充老年小鼠的饮用水 4 周会增加表皮的牛磺酸含量，但不会增加真皮。本研究首次表明小鼠和大鼠皮肤中的牛磺酸含量随着年龄的增长而降低，这可能与随着衰老观察到的皮肤稳态受损有关。老年动物表皮中减少的牛磺酸含量可以通过补充牛磺酸来挽救。用 3% (w/v) 牛磺酸补充老年小鼠的饮用水 4 周会增加表皮的牛磺酸含量，但不会增加真皮。本研究首次表明小鼠和大鼠皮肤中的牛磺酸含量随着年龄的增长而降低，这可能与随着衰老观察到的皮肤稳态受损有关。老年动物表皮中减少的牛磺酸含量可以通过补充牛磺酸来挽救。