As the largest ecosystem of human body, intestinal microorganisms participate in the synthesis and metabolism of uric acid. Developing and utilizing intestinal bacteria to degrade uric acid might provide new ideas for the treatment of hyperuricemia. The fecal samples of people with low uric acid were inoculated into uric acid selective medium with the concentration of 1.5 mmol/L for preliminary screening, and the initially screened strains that may have degradation ability were domesticated by concentration gradient method, and the strains with high uric acid degradation rate were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing method. A strain of high-efficiency uric acid degrading bacteria was screened and domesticated from the feces of people with low uric acid. The degradation rate of uric acid could reach 50.2%. It was identified as Escherichia coli. The isolation and domestication of high efficient uric acid degrading strains can not only provide scientific basis for the study of the mechanism of intestinal microbial degradation of uric acid, but also reserve biological strains for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout in the future.
Bacteria/metabolism* ; Domestication ; Ecosystem ; Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Humans ; Hyperuricemia ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/metabolism* ; Uric Acid/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and reveal the underlying mechanism of the effect of total saponins from Dioscoreae nipponica Makino (TSDN) on the arachidonic acid pathway in monosodium urate (MSU) crystal-induced M1-polarized macrophages. METHODS: M1 polarization of RAW264.7 cells were induced by 1 µ g/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide method was then used to screen the concentration of TSDN. MSU (500 µ g/mL) was used to induce the gouty arthritis model. Afterwards, 10 µ g/L TSDN and 8 µ mol/L celecoxib, which was used as a positive control, were added to the above LPS and MSU-induced cells for 24 h. The mRNA and protein expressions of cyclooxygenase (COX) 2, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), microsomal prostaglandin E synthase derived eicosanoids (mPGES)-1, leukotriene B (LTB)4, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4A, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂) were tested by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to test the contents of M1 markers, including inducible nitric oxid synthase (NOS) 2, CD80, and CD86. RESULTS: TSDN inhibited the proliferation of M1 macrophages and decreased both the mRNA and protein expressions of COX2, 5-LOX, CYP4A, LTB4, and PGE₂ (P<0.01) while increased the mRNA and protein expression of mPGES-1 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). TSDN could also significantly decrease the contents of NOS2, CD80, and CD86 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION TSDN has an anti-inflammation effect on gouty arthritis in an in vitro model by regulating arachidonic acid signaling pathway.
Uric Acid/metabolism* ; Arachidonic Acid/metabolism* ; Dioscorea ; Arthritis, Gouty ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Macrophages ; Signal Transduction ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism*

A patented kinetic uricase method was evaluated for serum uric acid assay. Initial absorbance of the reaction mixture before uricase action (A(0)) was obtained by correcting the absorbance at 293 nm measured before the addition of uricase solution, and background absorbance (A(b)) was predicted by an integrated method. Uric acid concentration in reaction solution was calculated from A, the difference between A(0) and A(b), using the absorptivity preset for uric acid. This kinetic uricase method exhibited CV<4.3% and recovery of 100%. Lipids, bilirubin, hemoglobin, ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione and xanthine <0.32 mmol/L in serum had no significant effects. A linearly responded to 1.2 to 37.5 micromol/L uric acid in reaction solution containing 15 microl serum. The slope of linear response was consistent with the absorptivity preset for uric acid while the intercept was consistent with that for serum alone. Uric acid concentrations in clinic sera by different uricase methods positively correlated to each other. By Bland-Altman analysis, this kinetic uricase method accorded with that by quantifying the total change of UV absorbance on the completion of uricase reaction. These results demonstrated that this kinetic uricase method is reliable for serum uric acid assay with enhanced resistance to both xanthine and other common errors, wider range of linear response and much lower cost.
Humans ; Kinetics ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet ; Urate Oxidase ; chemistry ; Uric Acid ; blood ; metabolism

A boy attended the hospital at the age of 1 month due to left hand tremor for 1 week. A blood test showed a reduction in serum uric acid and a cranial MRI showed encephalomalacia, atrophy, and cystic changes. The boy had microcephalus, unusual facial features (long face, long forehead, protruded forehead, long philtrum, low nasal bridge, facial swelling, and thick lower lip), hypertonia of lower extremities, and severe global developmental delay. Whole-exome sequencing performed for the boy detected a homozygous mutation, c.217C > T(p.R73W), in the
Carbon-Carbon Lyases ; China ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Metal Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; Mutation ; Uric Acid

Through literature review, it was found that there were many literature reports on the effect of single-herb traditional Chinese medicine for lowering uric acid in comparison with other single-herb traditional Chinese medicines. Then what is the relationship between single-herb traditional Chinese medicines for eliminating dampness and uric acid? How do they play a role in lowering uric acid? In this study, traditional Chinese medicines for eliminating dampness in the 2015 Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the innovative textbook of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy for Chinese medicine colleges and universities in the new century were selected as the research objects, and articles about the effect of single-herb traditional Chinese medicines for eliminating dampness in the treatment of hyperuricemia were searched through CNKI, WanFang and VIP. Afterwards, Excel(2016) was used to establish a database, and Excel screening tool was used to extract the classification statistics of its uric acid lowering effect, pharmacodynamic sites, uric acid lowering pathway and mechanism, so as to clarify the relationship between single-herb traditional Chinese medicines for eliminating dampness and uric acid as well as their mechanism on lowering uric acid. The results showed that there were 16 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines with uric acid lowering effect, accounting for 23.88% of the 67 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines for eliminating dampness. Other medicines with the uric acid lowering effect included traditional Chinese medicine extracts and chemical components. The main ways of reducing uric acid included: inhibiting uric acid synthesis and promoting uric acid excretion; mechanism of action was mainly regulating the two key enzymes generated by uric acid and the ion transporters excreted by uric acid. Therefore, it can be seen that this kind of traditional Chinese medicines have a clear effect in reducing uric acid, providing new ideas for drug screening, prescription compatibility and target determination for the treatment of hyperuricemia as well as a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment and research of hyperuricemia.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hyperuricemia ; drug therapy ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Uric Acid ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo measure uric acid of seminal plasma in fertile and infertile males.

METHODSOne hundred and sixty-three infertile males were divided into an obstructive azoospermic group (15 cases), a non-obstructive azoospermic group (36 cases), an oligozoospermic group (43 cases), and an asthenozoospermic group (69 cases). Twenty fertile males were included in the control group. Uric acid concentrations of seminal plasma in the fertile and infertile men were assessed by spectrophotometer, and sperm parameters were analyzed by computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) system.

RESULTSUric acid concentration of seminal plasma in the control group was significantly higher than all the infertile groups (P < 0.01), and that of the obstructive azoospermic group significantly lower than the other infertile groups (P < 0.1), but no significant difference was observed among the other infertile groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONUric acid may play an important role in male reproduction because of its antioxidative property.

Adult ; Azoospermia ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; metabolism ; Male ; Oligospermia ; metabolism ; Semen ; chemistry ; Uric Acid ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo establish the method of seminal uric acid (UA) determination and investigate the correlation between the seminal UA level and semen parameters.

METHODSThe method of seminal UA determination was established by modifying the method of serum UA detection, and its intraassay coefficient of variation (CV) and the difference of the results between different technicians were also observed to evaluate the acceptability of the method. In the meanwhile, the correlations of the seminal UA level with the patients' age, abstinence time, semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, motility, the percentage of grade a and b sperm, and the percentage of morphologically normal sperm.

RESULTSThe intraassay CV was 9. 16% for the method of seminal UA detection, and there was no significant difference in the UA level detected by 2 technicians (P = 0.541). The seminal UA level was positively correlated with the percentage of morphologically normal sperm (r = 0.350, P = 0.025) , with a tendency of positive correlation with sperm motility (r = 0.147, P = 0.085) and the percentage of grade a and b sperm (r = 0.156, P = 0.068), but not with other parameters such as semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, abstinence time and the patients' age.

CONCLUSIONAn acceptable method of seminal UA determination could be established by modifying the method of serum UA detection. Sperm morphology, motility and the percentage of grade a and b sperm might be related to the level of seminal UA.

Adult ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Semen ; chemistry ; cytology ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Uric Acid ; analysis

Hyperuricemia mice model was established with uricase inhibitor (potassium oxonate) and uric acids in serum were observed. Polydatin (5, 10, 20 mg · kg(-1)) and benzbromarone (16.7 mg · kg(-1)) were given ig for 7 d in mice. Kidney tissues were used to detect gene contents ofurate anion transporter 1 (URAT1), organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) and organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3) by real-time-PCR. The results showed that polydatin and benzbromarone can significantly reduce uric acid in blood of hyperuricemia mice (P < 0.05), compared with the model group. URAT1, OAT1 and OAT3 contents of the kidney in hyperuricemia mice changed significantly (P < 0.05), compared with the blank group. Polydatin can significantly inhibit the changing trends in these genes induced by potassium oxonate in a dose-dependent manner, the difference was significant (P < 0.05), compared with the model group. Those indicated that polysatin could reduce the level of the serum uric acid through promoting uric acid excretion.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; Hyperuricemia ; drug therapy ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology ; Uric Acid ; blood

Primary gout is an as yet undefined inborn error of metabolism characterized by hyperuricemia, recurrent attacks of acute arthritis ordinarily responsive to colchicine, and in many instances eventually by tophaus deposit of urate. Also secondary gouty symptom complexes can be induced by various causes. The kidney is involved about 15 ~ 20% of gout and represented clinically as albuminuria, which may persist for several decades before nitrogen retention ensues, and progressively reveal the impairment of concentrating ability and delayed excretion of PSP. This patient has been chronically suffered from the right flank pain and intermittent oliguria due to bilateral ureteral obstruction by uric acid stone and crystals for five years and exploratory operation for stone turned out as gouty kidney complicated in the polycystic kidney. The authors report this case with review of the literature.
Albuminuria ; Arthritis ; Colchicine ; Flank Pain ; Gout ; Humans ; Hyperuricemia ; Kidney* ; Metabolism ; Nitrogen ; Oliguria ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases ; Ureteral Obstruction ; Uric Acid

OBJECTIVETo determine the level of uric acid (UA) in the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) of chronic prostatitis patients and explore its clinical significance.

METHODSA total of 91 patients with chronic prostatitis diagnosed by NIH standard were divided into a III A (n = 48) and a III B (n = 43) group, and healthy volunteers were selected as the control. The scores on the NIH-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (CPSI) and the WBC count, pH value and UA level in EPS were evaluated for all the three groups.

RESULTSThe EPS UA concentration was (257.02 +/- 144.84) micromol/L in Group III B, significantly higher than in Group III A, (159. 73 +/- 121.49) micromol/L, (P < 0.01), and the control, (78.55 +/- 44.53) micromol/L, (P < 0.01). The level of EPS UA was correlated negatively with pH value (r = -0.398, P = 0.000), but positively with CPSI-P, CPSI-U and CPSI-T (r = 0.436, 0.316 and 0.403, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONBackflow of urine into prostatic ducts might cause chemical inflammation reaction by increasing UA concentration. There is a close relationship between the UA level in EPS and chronic prostatitis symptoms. Determination of the UA level in EPS is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic prostatitis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostate ; pathology ; secretion ; Prostatitis ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Uric Acid ; analysis