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Anti-hyperuricemic effect of taxifolin in cultured hepatocytes and model mice

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Abstract

Hyperuricemia is recognized as an important risk factor for gout. High dietary intake of purine-rich foods such as meats and sea foods increases uric acid (UA) levels in the blood. Taxifolin present in Siberian larch and strawberries has been reported to possess health promoting activities including anti-oxidant effect. In this study, we examined anti-hyperuricemic effect of taxifolin in both cultured hepatocytes and hyperuricemic model mice. In cultured AML12 hepatocytes, taxifolin significantly suppressed UA production dose- and time-dependently. In mice with hyperuricemia induced by concurrent administration of guanosine-5′-monophosphate and inosine-5′-monophosphate, oral administration of taxifolin suppressed the increases in plasma and liver UA levels. In addition, it also suppressed hepatic xanthine oxidase (XO) activity. Thus, anti-hyperuricemic effect of taxifolin could be explained, at least partly, by suppressing UA production via inhibition of XO activity in the liver. These results suggest that taxifolin possesses a potent hypouricemic effect and it could be a potential candidate for an anti-hyperuricemic phytochemical.

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Abbreviations

BSS:

Balanced salt solution

GMP:

Guanosine-5′-monophosphate

IMP:

Inosine-5′-monophosphate

UA:

Uric acid

XO:

Xanthine oxidase

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the Regional Innovation Strategy Support Program, MEXT, Japan, and in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP16K16273. Authors are grateful to Yuki Takami for her excellent technical assistance.

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Correspondence to Kazumi Yagasaki.

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Adachi, Si., Nihei, Ki., Ishihara, Y. et al. Anti-hyperuricemic effect of taxifolin in cultured hepatocytes and model mice. Cytotechnology 69, 329–336 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10616-016-0061-4

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