Hydrolysate of goat milk casein supplementation alleviates hyperuricemia and modulates gut microbiota in C57BL6/J mice†

Over the past two decades, the occurrence of hyperuricemia and its influence on health have drawn lots of concern all over the world. Despite significant advances in understanding the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia in various studies, effective medications without side effects are not available. Nutraceutical supplements have attracted much attention due to their beneficial and non-toxic side effects compared to chemical compounds. In the present study, mice with hyperuricemia induced by potassium oxalate and hypoxanthine were given hydrolysate of goat milk casein (HGMC) to investigate its beneficial effects on hyperuricemia. HGMC significantly alleviated body weight loss and abnormal water consumption in hyperuricemic mice. Further study showed that HGMC effectively eliminated renal histological damage in mice with hyperuricemia. Real-time PCR and western blot results revealed that HGMC alleviated protein levels of inflammation-associated proteins and cellular pyroptosis-associated proteins, including NLRP3, TNF-α, Caspase1 and TGF-β. Intestinal microbial sequencing showed that supplementation of HGMC increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decreased pathogenic flora. In conclusion, our results suggest that the beneficial effects of HGMC on hyperuricemia are associated with regulating inflammation and modulating intestinal bacteria in mice.