Effects of Fructose on Uric Acid Metabolism

Abstract

Uric acid (UA) has been proposed to contribute to diet‐induced insulin resistance. We studied UA metabolism during an oral fructose challenge (0.2 g oral fructose/kg FFM every hour for 9 hours). Blood and urine UA concentrations were measured, UA excretion and clearance were calculated in two groups of healthy male subjects: 1) 8 subjects after 6 days on either a low fructose diet (LF) or a hypercaloric diet with 3g/kg/day fructose (HyperFr); 2) 7 subjects after 4 days on either LF or an isocaloric 30% fructose diet (IsoHFr). Fasting UA (μmol/L) Post‐fructose UA (μmol/L) UA clearance (mL/min) UA excretion (μmol/min) Fasting HOMA‐IR Fasting TG (mmol/L) LF 389 ± 16 391 ± 14 9.3 ± 0.5 3.6 ± 0.2 2.2 ± 0.4 0.7 ± 0.0 HyperFr 458 ± 25* 456 ± 22* 7.5 ± 0.3* 3.4 ± 0.1 3.2 ± 0.5* 1.5 ± 0.2* LF 334 ± 18 339 ± 18 9.1 ± 1.1 3.0 ± 0.3 2.6 ± 0.3 0.6 ± 0.1 IsoHFr 359 ± 23 361 ± 22 7.5 ± 0.9* 2.6 ± 0.2 3.1 ± 0.5 1.0 ± 0.2* P < 0.05 vs LF Oral fructose did not significantly increase UA concentration in any condition; HyperFr increased fasting UA concentration, due to a decreased UA clearance; HyperFr and IsoHFr increased fasting TG, HyperFr increased HOMA‐IR but these effects were not related to increased UA.We conclude that short term fructose has little effects on UA production but decreases UA clearance. Fructose‐induced metabolic alterations are unlikely to be mediated by UA.Swiss National Science Foundation supported this work.