While taurine is generally considered beneficial, excessive intake may be harmful under certain conditions. In this study, we examined the effects of dietary taurine on Wistar rats with ulcerative colitis (UC)—a chronic inflammatory disease—induced with 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Normal rats fed a 10% taurine diet served as the control group, and UC model rats were assigned to the DSS group (standard diet) or taurine-supplemented diets containing 1%, 5%, or 10% taurine (the 1 TAU, 5 TAU, or 10 TAU group). In parallel, primary peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and/or taurine in vitro. Control rats gained more weight than all DSS-exposed groups and showed no colonic atrophy or increased inflammatory scores. Among DSS-exposed rats, the 10 TAU group was associated with the greatest body weight loss and the highest disease activity index, whereas colon length did not differ significantly on day 20. Histology revealed epithelial injury and inflammatory infiltration in DSS-exposed groups, with the most pronounced damage in the DSS and 10 TAU groups and comparatively milder injury in the 1 TAU and 5 TAU groups. Serum TNF-α was significantly elevated in the 5 TAU group and showed an increasing trend in the 10 TAU group. In vitro, taurine enhanced macrophage activation in an LPS-stimulated context. Overall, very high dietary taurine (10% w/w) was associated with pathological exacerbation and greater histopathologic severity, while 5% taurine showed intermediate, outcome-dependent effects rather than a uniform dose response.

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