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Abstract

Hyperuricemia occurs in 21.4% of the adult population and is associated with several conditions that increase oxidative stress and contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory mechanisms for the development and progression of diseases. Serum blood or urine samples of uric acid levels were used to mainly identify clinical problems, depending on the uric acid pathway alterations, which include synthesis, reabsorption or its excretion. Several proteins that act particularly as transporters (URAT1, GLUT9, 1-NPT1, 1-NPT4, OAT4, 9-MCT9, hUAT1, etc.) have been identified in the recent past involving tubular transport and clearance leading to clinical benefits. Until now, the knowledge of uric acid homeostasis centers its primary investigation on understanding molecular and genetic mechanisms, including the genetic polymorphisms that induce genetic and acquire renal tubular disorder, which increases or diminishes urate excretion.
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... The kidney and intestine both take charge of the excretion of UA from the body. The kidneys account for approximately 75%, while the intestines account for the remaining 25% [6,7]. Clinically, 90% of patients with HUA are under-excreting [8,9]. ...
... URAT1 and GLUT9, which mediate the exchange of intraluminal UA with inorganic anions (Cl-) and organic anions (lactate and hydrochloride) in proximal tubule epithelial cells, are critical transporters for UA reabsorption from the kidney lumen to the blood [10]. URAT1 and GLUT9 reabsorb almost 90% of the excreted UA [6]. Thus, many novel uricosuric drugs and candidates, such as lesinurad, RDEA3170, and CDER167 are designed to specifically target URAT1 and GLUT9 by inhibiting their functions [12]. ...
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Hyperuricemia (HUA), characterized by abnormal serum uric acid (UA) levels, is recognized as an important risk factor for hyperuricemic nephropathy (HN), which is strongly linked to gut microbiota. This study investigated the protective effects and regulatory mechanisms of insoluble fiber from barley leaves (BL) against HN, induced by adenine (Ad) and potassium oxonate (PO). The results showed that BL dramatically reduced the levels of serum UA and creatinine (CR) and alleviated renal injury and fibrosis. Moreover, BL modulated oxidative stress and downregulated the expression of urate transporter 1 (URAT1) and glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9) in the kidneys of mice with HN. In addition, the 16S rRNA sequence data showed that BL also increased the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria, including Bacteroides, Alloprevotella, and Eisenbergiella. Besides, BL treatment also increased SCFAs levels. Of interest, the application of SCFAs in hyperuricemic mice effectively reduced their serum UA. Furthermore, SCFAs dose-dependently inhibited URAT1 and GLUT9 in vitro and potently interacted with URAT1 and GLUT9 in the docking analysis. When taken together, our results indicate that BL and its metabolite SCFAs may be potential candidates for relieving HUA or HN.
... Canagliflozin was shown to acutely increase the fractional urate excretion in mice, an effect that was absent in Urat1 knockout mice, despite a similar glucosuric response. The role of Glut9 was less clear, despite a clear upregulation in gene expression by the SLGT inhibitor [46]. Interference with other transporters, however, remains to be demonstrated. ...
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Sodium–glucose cotransporter (SGLT) inhibitors are a class of oral hypoglycemic agents, which, in recent years, have been shown to improve renal and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diabetic and non-diabetic chronic kidney disease. There remains considerable debate regarding the potential glucose-independent mechanisms by which these benefits are conferred. SGLT inhibitors, to a variable extent, impair small intestinal glucose absorption, facilitating the delivery of glucose into the colon. This suppresses protein fermentation, and thus the generation of uremic toxins such as phenols and indoles. It is acknowledged that such a shift in gut microbial metabolism yields health benefits for the host. SGLT inhibition, in addition, may be hypothesized to foster the renal clearance of protein-bound uremic toxins. Altered generation and elimination of uremic toxins may be in the causal pathway between SGLT inhibition and improved cardiometabolic health. Present review calls for additional research.
... Serum UA concentration mainly depends on the dynamic balance between UA production and its excretion. UA transporters, including URAT1, GLUT9 and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), mediate UA uptake and outflow, greatly regulating UA concentrations in the body [9,10]. It was previously demonstrated UA uptake level also affects the degree of inflammation [3,11]. ...
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Background Uric acid (UA) transporters mediate the uptake and outflow of UA, and are greatly involved in the control of UA concentrations. Glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9), one of the UA transporters, has been confirmed to be expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). This study aimed to characterize GLUT9’s effect on intracellular UA accumulation in HUVECs in a high-UA environment and to explore the mechanism of cellular dysfunction. Methods and results HUVECs were treated with UA to establish a model of cellular dysfunction. Then, UA uptake, GLUT9 expression and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) amounts were measured. UA uptake was concentration- and time-dependent, and UA treatment significantly reduced nitric oxide (NO) levels and eNOS activity. UA also upregulated pro-inflammatory molecules and GLUT9, and increased intracellular ROS amounts in HUVECs. GLUT9 knockdown reduced UA uptake and ROS content, but antioxidant treatment did not reduce GLUT9 expression. To assess the function of JAK2/STAT3 signaling, HUVECs were treated with UA, and the phosphorylation levels of JAK2, STAT3, IL-6 and SOCS3 were increased by a high concentration of UA. In addition, GLUT9 knockdown reduced the phosphorylation of JAK2/STAT3 intermediates and increased p-eNOS amounts. Conclusions GLUT9 mediated the effects of high UA levels on HUVECs by increasing the cellular uptake of UA, activating JAK2/STAT3 signaling, and reduced the production of active eNOS and NO in HUVECs.
... Several transporters have been confirmed to be involved in the renal proximal tubule transport of UA. Proteins that have been identified currently consist of the glucose transport protein 9 (GLUT9), organic anion transporter (OAT), and urate anion transporter 1 (URAT1) [33]. In 2002, Enomoto and Endon first discovered the SLC22A12 gene encoding URAT1 a new member of the OATs family, which has a unique substrate specificity compared to other OATs [34]. ...
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In the past decades, questions arose whether hyperuricemia works as an independent risk factor of cardiovascular and renal disease, many evidence cleared this question, that hyperuricemia works as an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular diseases. Hyperuricemia defined as an abnormally high level of uric acid. In general, it's defined as serum urate concentration excess of 6.8 mg/dl. Hyperuricemia, which is commonly thought to be just a complication of chronic kidney disease, seems to play a pathogenic role in the progression of renal diseases. In recent years, more attention has been paid to the link between hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease. Randomized controlled trials have shown that there may be independent associations between hyperuricemia and the progression of cardiovascular and renal morbidity. It is thought to be mediated by renin-angiotensin system activation, nitric oxide syntheses inhibition, and the development of macro and microvascular diseases. Debate continues regarding serum uric acid concentration as an indirect index of renal vascular disease. To sort out the thread, our literature review focus on the role of asymptomatic hyperuricemia in the progress of chronic kidney disease along with the association between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular diseases and a general review of the physiological metabolism of uric acid.
... Moreover, the breakdown of purines releases uric acid in small quantities. Uric acid in human urine and the blood may form sharp crystals and bring about an increased risk of gout [3][4][5][6]. Hyperuricemia mainly caused by metabolic disorders of purine and closely associated with the increases in the risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity can be congenital or acquired [7][8][9]. Hyperuricemia is the main factor that leads to long-term systemic inflammation in patients with gout [10]. ...
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Hyperuricemia may occur when there is an excess of uric acid in the blood. Hyperuricemia may result from increased production or decreased excretion of uric acid. Elevated uric acid levels are a risk factor for gout, and various risk factors, including some medications, alcohol consumption, kidney disease, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, and pesticide exposure, as well as obesity, are associated with an elevated risk of hyperuricemia. Although the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia are complex, previously reported studies have revealed that hyperuricemia is involved in a variety of biological processes and signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize common comorbidities related to hyperuricemia and describe an update of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic options of hyperuricemia. This systematic review highlights the epidemiology and risk factors of hyperuricemia. Moreover, we discuss genetic studies on hyperuricemia to uncover current status and advances in the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia. Additionally, we conclude with a reflection on the underlying mechanisms of hyperuricemia and present the alternative drug strategies for the treatment of hyperuricemia to offer more effective clinical interventions.
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Elevated serum uric acid levels cause gout and are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. To investigate the polygenetic basis of serum uric acid levels, we conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association scans from 14 studies totalling 28,141 participants of European descent, resulting in identification of 954 SNPs distributed across nine loci that exceeded the threshold of genome-wide significance, five of which are novel. Overall, the common variants associated with serum uric acid levels fall in the following nine regions: SLC2A9 (p = 5.2x10(-201)), ABCG2 (p = 3.1x10(-26)), SLC17A1 (p = 3.0x10(-14)), SLC22A11 (p = 6.7x10(-14)), SLC22A12 (p = 2.0x10(-9)), SLC16A9 (p = 1.1x10(-8)), GCKR (p = 1.4x10(-9)), LRRC16A (p = 8.5x10(-9)), and near PDZK1 (p = 2.7x10(-9)). Identified variants were analyzed for gender differences. We found that the minor allele for rs734553 in SLC2A9 has greater influence in lowering uric acid levels in women and the minor allele of rs2231142 in ABCG2 elevates uric acid levels more strongly in men compared to women. To further characterize the identified variants, we analyzed their association with a panel of metabolites. rs12356193 within SLC16A9 was associated with DL-carnitine (p = 4.0x10(-26)) and propionyl-L-carnitine (p = 5.0x10(-8)) concentrations, which in turn were associated with serum UA levels (p = 1.4x10(-57) and p = 8.1x10(-54), respectively), forming a triangle between SNP, metabolites, and UA levels. Taken together, these associations highlight additional pathways that are important in the regulation of serum uric acid levels and point toward novel potential targets for pharmacological intervention to prevent or treat hyperuricemia. In addition, these findings strongly support the hypothesis that transport proteins are key in regulating serum uric acid levels.
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In addition to its role as a metabolic waste product, uric acid has been proposed to be an important molecule with multiple functions in human physiologic and pathophysiologic processes and may be linked to human diseases beyond nephrolithiasis and gout. Uric acid homeostasis is determined by the balance between production, intestinal secretion, and renal excretion. The kidney is an important regulator of circulating uric acid levels by reabsorbing about 90% of filtered urate and being responsible for 60% to 70% of total body uric acid excretion. Defective renal handling of urate is a frequent pathophysiologic factor underpinning hyperuricemia and gout. Despite tremendous advances over the past decade, the molecular mechanisms of renal urate transport are still incompletely understood. Many transport proteins are candidate participants in urate handling, with URAT1 and GLUT9 being the best characterized to date. Understanding these transporters is increasingly important for the practicing clinician as new research unveils their physiologic characteristics, importance in drug action, and genetic association with uric acid levels in human populations. The future may see the introduction of new drugs that act specifically on individual renal urate transporters for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout.
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Renal hypouricemia is an inherited disorder characterized by impaired renal urate (uric acid) reabsorption and subsequent low serum urate levels, with severe complications such as exercise-induced acute renal failure and nephrolithiasis. We previously identified SLC22A12, also known as URAT1, as a causative gene of renal hypouricemia. However, hypouricemic patients without URAT1 mutations, as well as genome-wide association studies between urate and SLC2A9 (also called GLUT9), imply that GLUT9 could be another causative gene of renal hypouricemia. With a large human database, we identified two loss-of-function heterozygous mutations in GLUT9, which occur in the highly conserved "sugar transport proteins signatures 1/2." Both mutations result in loss of positive charges, one of which is reported to be an important membrane topology determinant. The oocyte expression study revealed that both GLUT9 isoforms showed high urate transport activities, whereas the mutated GLUT9 isoforms markedly reduced them. Our findings, together with previous reports on GLUT9 localization, suggest that these GLUT9 mutations cause renal hypouricemia by their decreased urate reabsorption on both sides of the renal proximal tubules. These findings also enable us to propose a physiological model of the renal urate reabsorption in which GLUT9 regulates serum urate levels in humans and can be a promising therapeutic target for gout and related cardiovascular diseases.
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The effects of pyrazinoate and nicotinate on urate transport in microvillus membrane vesicles isolated from canine renal cortex were evaluated. An outwardly directed gradient of pyrazinoate stimulated uphill urate accumulation, suggesting urate-pyrazinoate exchange. An inside-alkaline pH gradient stimulated uphill pyrazinoate accumulation, which suggested pyrazinoate-OH- exchange. Pyrazinoate-OH- exchange and urate-OH- exchange were similarly sensitive to inhibitors, implying that both processes occur via the same transport system. In addition, an inward Na+ gradient stimulated uphill pyrazinoate accumulation, suggesting Na+-pyrazinoate cotransport. Inhibitor studies demonstrated that Na+-pyrazinoate cotransport takes place via the same pathway that mediates Na+-lactate cotransport in these membrane vesicles. Previously we found that urate does not share this Na+-dependent cotransport pathway. Nicotinate inhibited transport of pyrazinoate by the anion exchange pathway and the Na+ cotransport pathway, suggesting that it is a substrate for both transport systems. Finally, in the presence of an inward Na+ gradient, low doses of pyrazinoate or nicotinate stimulated urate uptake, and higher doses of pyrazinoate or nicotinate inhibited urate accumulation, thereby mimicking in vitro the paradoxical effects of drugs on renal urate excretion that have been observed in vivo. These findings indicate that the paradoxical effect of uricosuric drugs at low doses to cause urate retention may result at least in part from stimulation of urate reabsorption across the luminal membrane of the proximal tubular cell.