Taurine alleviates osteoarthritis in mice mediated by gut microbiota dysbiosis

We're uncovering more about the link between gut microbiota dysbiosis (GMD) and osteoarthritis (OA), but we're still in the dark about the full connection and mechanisms between the two. What we've found here is that mice with GMD show clear signs of osteoarthritis in their knee joints. We further validated through a gut microbiota dysbiosis mouse model that gut microbiota dysbiosis can mediate susceptibility to osteoarthritis in mice, and this susceptibility can be transferred through microbiota transplantation. Subsequent metabolomics analysis revealed that the downregulation of Taurine levels in the bodies of osteoarthritis mice may be the “culprit” behind OA progression. Further research indicates that Taurine can alleviate gut microbiota dysbiosis-induced osteoarthritis in mice and mitigate damage to cartilage cells through the ROS/NF-κB axis. Our research findings provide ample evidence for the "gut-joint axis" and demonstrate that taurine could serve as a potential therapeutic target for gut microbiota dysbiosis-induced osteoarthritis.