ABSTRACT
Aim To investigate the effects of 3 ,5 ,2 ’ , 4’-tetrahydroxychalcone (P40) on urate excretion, as well as mRNA and protein expressions of renal URAT1 and GLUT9 in hyperuricemic mice. Methods Sixty Kunming mice were randomly divided into six groups:normal control group, hyperuricemic group ( model group), P40 2. 0, 4. 0, 8. 0 mg·kg-1 groups and positive control group. All drugs were administered in-tragastrically to mice for 5 doses. Hyperuricemic mice were induced by intraperitoneal injection of uric acid (0. 15 g·kg-1 body weight) for 3 times. The urate levels were assayed with the phosphotungstic acid method. The mRNA and protein expressions of GLUT9 and URAT1 were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. Results P40 at a dose of 4. 0 and 8. 0 mg · kg-1 significantly reduced the serum urate levels in a dose-dependent manner, when compared with untreat-ed hyperuricemic mice ( P<0. 05 or 0. 01 ) . The he-patic urate contents decreased in untreated-and treated-hyperuricemic mice as compared with normal mice ( P<0. 01 ) . Furthermore, P40 had no influence on the renal URAT1 mRNA and protein expression levels, while it could down-regulate renal GLUT9 protein ex-pression but not mRNA expression in hyperuricemic mice. Conclusion P40 possesses potent uricosuric effects associated with urate reabsorption by down-regu-lating the protein expression of GLUT9 in kidney.