Guluronate oligosaccharides exerts beneficial effects on hyperuricemia and regulation of gut microbiota in mice

Guluronate oligosaccharides (GOS) is a biologically active natural product derived from brown algae. This study aimed to evaluate the amelioration of hyperuricemia and renal inflammation by GOS and its mechanisms. According to the results, GOS treatment reduced the serum uric acid (UA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels among hyperuricemic mice by 19.6% and 21.5% (P<0.05), at the same time, serum xanthine oxidase (XOD) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels were down-regulated to normal. GOS treatment ameliorated the renal pathologization associated with hyperuricemia and reduced renal IL-1β, IL-12, and IL-18 (P<0.05), suggesting a mitigating effect of GOS on renal damage. In addition, GOS supplementation modulates the mRNA levels of renal and intestinal urate transporters to promote uric acid excretion. GOS reversed the intestinal microbiota of hyperuricemic mice, significantly down-regulating the abundances of pernicious bacteria like Bilophila and Tuzzerella, while up-regulating the beneficial intestinal bacteria including Muribaculum, Lachnospiraceae_UCG_006, Ruminococcus, Faecalibaculum, and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group. Together, guluronate oligosaccharides can improve hyperuricemia by alleviating hyperuricemia-induced renal damage and reversing intestinal microbiota disorders. These findings provide evidence supporting the further development of guluronate oligosaccharides as a novel functional food ingredient suitable for hyperuricemia.