Abstract
Alcohol consumption is associated with hyperuricemia and gout. Previous studies have indicated a role for green tea catechins in uric acid (UA) metabolism. This study aimed to elucidate the acute effect of green tea catechins in terms of enhancing urinary excretion of UA and xanthine/hypoxanthine (Xa/HX; UA precursors) after alcohol ingestion. In a randomized crossover study, ten healthy Japanese subjects consumed test meals, including a Japanese distilled spirit (Shōchū) with water (SW) or Shōchū with catechin-rich green tea (SC), each containing 20 g of alcohol. The SC contained 617 mg of catechin in total. Serum and urine UA and Xa/HX concentrations were measured. Blood samples were collected after 2.5 h, and urine samples were collected between 0 and 5 h after consuming the test meal. Urine UA and Xa/HX excretions were significantly higher in the SC group than in the SW group (UA: SW, 0.45 ± 0.08; SC, 0.52 ± 0.09; Xa/HX: SW, 0.08 ± 0.04; SC, 0.16 ± 0.05 mg/kg/h). UA clearance (CUA) and fractional UA excretion (FEUA) tended to increase more in the SC group than in the SW group (CUA: SW, 7.76 ± 2.14; SC, 8.75 ± 2.23 mL/min/1.73 m2; FEUA: SW, 6.08 ± 1.36; SC, 6.64 ± 1.42%). No significant differences in serum UA and Xa/HX concentrations were observed between two groups. It was concluded that green tea catechins can enhance the excretion of UA and Xa/HX, even though alcohol is ingested. UMIN000040076. Retrospectively registered 7 April 2020. https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000045687 Key Points • Green tea catechins enhance the excretion of uric acid and xanthine/hypoxanthine, even when alcohol is ingested simultaneously. • In case of non-adherence of limiting alcohol intake, catechin-rich green tea may be an effective dietary component to continue dietary therapy.
Highlights
Hyperuricemia, which is the main risk factor for gout, is defined as serum uric acid (UA) concentration of ≥7 mg/dL
It was concluded that green tea catechins can enhance the excretion of UA and Xa/HX, even though alcohol is ingested
The prevalence rates of hyperuricemia and gout continue to increase.[1] hyperuricemia is closely associated with metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease.[2,3,4,5,6] Several studies have reported that lifestyle factors, including alcohol, purinerich foods, and fructose are associated with the development of hyperuricemia and gout.[7, 8] lifestyle improvement may be important for preventing hyperuricemia
Summary
Hyperuricemia, which is the main risk factor for gout, is defined as serum uric acid (UA) concentration of ≥7 mg/dL. It has been reported that green tea polyphenols decrease serum UA concentrations by regulating XO activity and urinary excretion of UA in hyperuricemic mice.[13,14,15] In addition, green tea extract lowers serum UA concentrations in healthy individuals to some extent.[16] These studies together indicate a role for green tea catechins in UA metabolism. These studies evaluated the chronic effect (≥7-day ingestion) of green tea catechins, and the acute effect of green tea catechins in UA metabolism remains unclear. Since humans do not have a uricase, which is only found as a non-functional pseudogene in the human genome,(18) it is necessary to elucidate the physiological response in human intervention studies
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