Effects of β-Carotin and Green Tea Powder Diets on Alleviating the Symptoms of Gouty Arthritis and Improving Gut Microbiota in C57BL/6 Mice

Abstract

As a chronic metabolic disease caused by disorders of purine metabolism, gout has shown increasing incidence rate worldwide. Considering that gout is not easily treated and cured, further studies are explored to prevent gout development through diet modification. Both β-carotin and green tea powder are rich in dietary fiber, which helps maintain the balance of gut microbiota in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of β-carotin and green tea powder diet on the prevention of gouty arthritis in relation to the bacterial structure of gut microbiota in mice. We successfully induced gouty arthritis in C57BL/6 mice by injecting monosodium urate (MSU) crystals and feeding high-fat diet (HFD), and further investigated the effects of additional β-carotin and green tea powder in the diets of mice on the prevention of gouty arthritis in mice. Our results showed that diet of β-carotin and green tea powder reduced the joint swelling and pain in mice with gout, reduced the levels of serum uric acid (UA) and three types of pro-inflammatory cytokines, i.e., interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), improved the gut microbiota profile, and reduced the metabolic levels of purines and pyrimidines. In conclusion, our study provided evidence to support the application of β-carotin and green tea powder diet as a dietary adjustment method to prevent and treat gouty arthritis.

Gut microbiota remodeling: A promising therapeutic strategy to confront hyperuricemia and gout

“…Studies have shown that at the genus level, 12 genera ( Bacteroides , Parabacteroides , Gemella , Lactococcus , Anaerostipes , Dorea , Anaerotruncus , Allobaculum , Holdemania , Desulfovibrio , Morganella , and Proteus ) were enriched in HUA rats induced by a high-fat diet containing 10% yeast extract, but 10 other genera ( Rothia , Collinsella , Prevotella , Odoribacter , Lactobacillus , Streptococcus , Clostridium , Dehalobacterium , Ruminococcus , and Anaeroplasma ) were less abundant ( Yu et al., 2018 ). Another study showed that the relative abundances of Muribaculaceae, Bacteroides , and Lachnospiraceae were significantly decreased in a gout model induced by MSU crystals combined with high-fat diet feeding compared with the normal control group ( Feng et al., 2022 ). In a gout model induced by a combination of MSU crystals and high-fat diet feeding, changes in the gut microbiota were induced, including increased levels of Desulfovibrio and Parabacteria ( Lin et al., 2020 ).…”

“…Furthermore, inulin treatment increased the production of SCFAs (acetate, propionate, and butyrate concentrations) derived from the gut microbiota in Uox-knockout mice ( Guo et al., 2021 ), which was positively correlated with efficacy in relieving HUA. Adding dietary fiber-rich β-carotene and green tea powder to the diet reduced joint swelling and pain in mice with gouty arthritis; decreased serum UA and three proinflammatory cytokines, namely, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α); improved the gut microbiota profile; and decreased purine and pyrimidine metabolism ( Feng et al., 2022 ).…”

Effect of tea intake on genetic predisposition to gout and uric acid: a Mendelian randomization study

“…ABCG2 is a primary transporter protein for uric acid excretion in the intestine ( 63 ). Studies have shown that tea-active ingredients can promote uric acid excretion in the intestine ( 52 ) and reduce the metabolism of purines and pyrimidines by up-regulating the expression of intestinal ABCG2 ( 64 , 65 ). In recent years, with the in-depth research related to intestinal flora, some scholars have realized that intestinal flora is expected to be a new target for treating hyperuricemia ( 66 ).…”

The role of gut microbiota in gout: Is gut microbiota a potential target for gout treatment

“…In addition, it has been shown that co-feeding of β-carotene and green tea powder in gouty mice significantly increased the positive interaction between gut microbes, which may positively in relieve gout symptoms ( Feng et al., 2022 ). Dietary administration of tuna meat oligopeptides (TMOP) alleviates hyperuricemia and renal inflammatory phenotypes.…”