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Uric acid-inducible genes in bacteria from the human gut microbiome

ABSTRACT: Approximately 15% of US adults have circulating levels of uric acid above its solubility limit, which is causally linked to the inflammatory disease gout. In most mammals, uric acid elimination is facilitated by the enzyme uricase. However, human uricase is a pseudogene, having been inactivated early in hominid evolution. Though it has long been known that a substantial amount of uric acid is eliminated in the gut, the role of the gut microbiota in hyperuricemia has not been studied. Here we identify a gene cluster, widely distributed in the gut microbiome, that encodes a pathway for uric acid degradation. Stable isotope tracing demonstrates that gut bacteria metabolize uric acid to xanthine or short chain fatty acids such as acetate, lactate and butyrate. Ablation of the microbiota in uricase-deficient mice causes profound hyperuricemia, and anaerobe-targeted antibiotics increase the risk of gout in humans. These data reveal a role for the gut microbiota in uric acid excretion and highlight the potential for microbiome-targeted therapeutics in hyperuricemia.

ORGANISM(S): Clostridium sporogenes ATCC 15579 Collinsella aerofaciens ATCC 25986 [Clostridium] saccharolyticum WM1

PROVIDER: GSE206419 | GEO | 2023/06/16

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Increased plasma uric acid (hyperuricemia) has been associated with worse outcomes for chronic kidney disease (CKD). But some attempts to control uric acid (UA) in large-cohort clinical trials did not produce clinically meaningful benefits for CKD. Some studies suggest that only hyperuricemia with crystals, but not asymptomatic hyperuricemia promotes the progression of CKD. Salt-sensitivity (SS) in blood pressure is a prevalent trait that is sexually dimorphic and results in kidney damage. But the connection between hyperuricemia and SS hypertension (HTN) is still unclear. Here we tested the connection between the two using both male and female Dahl SS rats, a well-establish model of SS HTN. We hypothesized that mild asymptomatic hyperuricemia is beneficial in controlling the progression of SS HTN. A uricase inhibitor, oxonic acid (2%) (Oxo) was used to induce hyperuricemia and high-salt (HS) (4% NaCl) diet was used to induce SS HTN. After 3 weeks, in response to oxonic acid supplementation, both sexes showed a significant increase of UA in plasma compared to their respective HS-only controls (Males: 0.63 ±0.07 vs. 2.17 ±0.34; Females: 0.78 ±0.15 vs. 2.04 ±0.35 mg/dl, HS vs. HS/oxo). Interestingly, only male HS/oxo rats showed a significant increase in uricosuria (Males: 0.23 ±0.03 vs. 0.45 ±0.06; Femaels: 0.26 ±0.06 vs. 0.26 ±0.001 UA/Cre, HS vs. HS/oxo). Moreover, the mild hyperuricemia was associated with a significant attenuation of the progression and magnitude of the mean arterial pressure in male but not female rats (Males: 157 ±3 vs. 136 ±3; Females: 155 ±6 vs. 154 ±5 mmHg, HS vs. HS/oxo). Xanthine oxidase (XO) is one of the enzymes that produce UA, and its activity has been shown to affect HTN as well. Therefore, we examined the level of XO activity in the plasma after the treatment. While there was no difference in the activity based on the diet within each sex, females had significantly lower levels of XO activity compared to males in each of the diets. To further investigate the beneficial phenotype seen in male rats, we evaluate changes in the progression of renal pathology. The HS/oxo group compared to the HS group had a lower kidney weight/body weight ratio and lower protein cast accumulation, indicating lower kidney damage. Furthermore, the HS/Oxo treated males had less oxidative damage in their tubules than the HS-only males. Bulk-RNA seq done on the male kidneys revealed that attenuated HTN phenotype was associated with an increased expression in Mas1 (MAS receptor), Klk-1 (Kallikrein-1), and Pcsk6 (PCSK6 enzyme) which can all lead to the activation of different vasodilatory pathways. Our study showed that in male but not female Dahl SS rats, asymptomatic mild hyperuricemia accompanied by hyperuricosuria ameliorates the progression of SS HTN and protects kidneys from further damage. Thus, our findings challenge the notion of hyperuricemia being inherently detrimental to health and highlight that this is an oversimplified view of UA’s role in disease.

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Uric acid-inducible genes in bacteria from the human gut microbiome

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