Abstract
Camellia japonica bee pollen is one of the major types of bee pollen in China and exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The aims of our study were to evaluate the effects and the possible mechanism of Camellia japonica bee pollen polyphenols on the treatment of hyperuricemia induced by potassium oxonate (PO). The results showed that Camellia japonica bee pollen ethyl acetate extract (CPE-E) owned abundant phenolic compounds and strong antioxidant capabilities. Administration with CPE-E for two weeks greatly reduced serum uric acid and improved renal function. It inhibited liver xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity and regulated the expression of urate transporter 1 (URAT1), glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9), organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1), organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) and ATP-binding cassette superfamily gmember 2 (ABCG2) in kidneys. Moreover, CPE-E suppressed the activation of the toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88/nuclear factor-κB (TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB) signaling pathway and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in PO-treated mice, and related inflammatory cytokines were reduced. CPE-E also modulated gut microbiota structure, showing that the abundance of Lactobacillus and Clostridiaceae increased in hyperuicemic mice. This study was conducted to explore the protective effect of CPE-E on hyperuricemia and provide new thoughts for the exploitation of Camellia japonica bee pollen.
Highlights
Hyperuricemia is a common metabolic disease with the obvious increasement of uric acid (UA) levels, which is linked with gout, disfunction of liver and kidney, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease and so on [1,2]
The polyphenols and biological activities of Camellia japonica bee pollen were studied, and the results showed that it possessed strong antioxidant activity and could prevent acute alcoholic liver injury [28]
The pollen spores were examined under a microscope and identified as Camellia japonica bee pollen by comparing with the morphology of Camellia japonica bee pollen proposed by Kao et al [27]
Summary
Hyperuricemia is a common metabolic disease with the obvious increasement of uric acid (UA) levels, which is linked with gout, disfunction of liver and kidney, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease and so on [1,2]. Excessive production of uric acid by the liver and insufficient excretion of uric acid by the kidneys can cause hyperuricemia, so the treatment of hyperuricemia is usually based on these two ways [4]. High levels of uric acid beyond the renal excretion capacity will precipitate and crystallize in the kidney, directly causing kidney injury. Uric acid crystal deposition induces oxidative stress, activates the NLRP3 inflammasome and regulates the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, increasing the risk of kidney inflammation [5,6]
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