Puerarin-rich compound Puerariae lobatae formulas alleviate hyperuricemia in mice by enhancing renal and intestinal function through regulating gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND

Hyperuricemia, a metabolic disorder strongly associated with gout and cardiorenal diseases, has become a global health threat affecting over 15% of the worldwide population. Current pharmacotherapies face limitations due to adverse effects during prolonged use. Natural medicines like Radix Puerariae Lobatae have demonstrated therapeutic potential with superior safety profiles.

PURPOSE

This study investigated the anti-hyperuricemic efficacy of compound Puerariae lobatae formulas (PLF1 and PLF2) and their bioactive component puerarin, focusing on their mechanisms for enhancing renal/intestinal uric acid excretion, alleviating pathological damage, and modulating gut microbiota composition.

METHODS

A hyperuricemic mouse model was established using an adenine/potassium oxonate diet. Mice were treated with PLF1 (250/500 mg/kg), PLF2 (300/600 mg/kg), puerarin (100 mg/kg), or benzbromarone (40 mg/kg, positive control). Plasma and tissue uric acid levels, XOD and ADA activities, and renal/intestinal transporter expression (ABCG2, OAT1) were analyzed. Histopathological examinations were performed using HE staining to assess kidney, liver, and intestinal integrity. Gut microbiota composition was evaluated via PacBio Sequel II 16S rRNA sequencing. Antibiotic-induced microbiota depletion and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) approaches were employed to validate microbiota-dependent effects.

RESULTS

PLF1, PLF2, and puerarin significantly reduced plasma uric acid levels and suppressed XOD/ADA activities. Histopathological analysis demonstrated marked improvements in renal tubular injury, hepatic steatosis, and intestinal structural integrity, including restoration of villus architecture and crypt morphology. The expression of renal ABCG2 and OAT1, as well as intestinal ABCG2, was significantly upregulated, accompanied by enhanced expression of colonic tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and occludin). Antibiotic-induced microbiota depletion abolished the hypouricemic effect of puerarin, while FMT from puerarin-treated donors significantly alleviated hyperuricemia in recipient mice. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that both PLF2 and puerarin selectively enriched the beneficial bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila while simultaneously reducing pathogenic taxa.

CONCLUSION

This study establishes Puerariae lobatae formulas and puerarin as multi-target therapeutics for hyperuricemia, offering dual advantages over conventional drugs by enhancing renal/intestinal uric acid excretion while also repairing organ damage, and remodeling gut microbiota to enrich probiotics like A. muciniphila. The microbiota-dependent efficacy of puerarin not only underscores its potential as a novel natural therapeutic agent but also provides critical pharmacological evidence for advancing puerarin and Radix Puerariae Lobatae-based formulas in hyperuricemia treatment, bridging traditional herbal medicine with modern microbiota-targeting strategies.