Hyperglycemia is directly involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy. A high glucose concentration promotes membrane lipid peroxidation and stimulates collagen production in a variety of cultured cells. Taurine, a sulfur amino acid, is an endogenous antioxidant and antifibrotic agent. We tested whether taurine ameliorates the above effects of elevated ambient glucose on renal cells in vitro. Raising glucose concentration from 5.6 to 33.3 mM enhanced lipid peroxidation in rat mesangial cells, as assessed by malondialdehyde and conjugated diene content, and increased collagen production by 59%. Taurine prevented both glucose-induced effects in mesangial cells. In contrast, neither high glucose nor taurine, alone or in combination, affected lipid peroxidation or collagen production in MDCK or LLC-PK1 cells, derived from renal tubular epithelium. These results indicate that taurine may be a useful therapeutic agent to attenuate diabetic glomerulosclerosis.