Objective To investigate the effects of taurine against the retinal damage in diabetic rats.  Methods Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups with 12 rats in each group: normal control group (NC)

diabetes mellitus group (DM)

1% taurine intervention plus diabetes mellitus group (DM+1%T)

5% taurine intervention plus diabetes mellitus group (DM+5%T)

insulin treatment plus diabetes mellitus group (DM+I). Streptozotocin was used to induce diabetes in rats. Simultaneously

taurine was added into forage at 1% or 5% as taurine intervention and insulin (20 U/kg) was subcutaneously injected as insulin treatment. Two months after induction of DM

the retinal function was detected by electroretinograph (ERG); the glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) and taurine transporter expression in the rat retina were determined by immunohistofluorescence.   Results The implicit time of a and b wave of rod-response

b wave of max-response

p4 wave of OPs and b wave of phot-ERG of diabetic rats was respectively prolonged significantly as compared to that of control rats. The Os1 amplitude of OPs was significantly decreased in diabetic rats. The GFAP expression in inner nuclear layer

outer nuclear layer

inner plexiform layer and outer plexiform layer increased 2 months after induction of DM. The taurine transporter expression in retina decreased 2 months after induction of DM. Taurine up-regulated GFAP expression and down-regulated taurine transporter expression in retinal cells.   Conclusion Dietary supplementation with taurine protects retina from diabetic damage.