Review Article

Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine Plays a Role in the Liver, Kidney, and Intestine to Ameliorate Hyperuricemia according to Experimental Studies

Table 1

Roles of TCM in the liver, kidney, and intestine to ameliorate hyperuricemia in experimental studies.

Name of herb(s) or formulasMain ingredient(s) or component(s)Animal Model(s) and/or cell(s)Main action(s) and possible mechanismReferences

Hepatic effects (in simples)
Cinnamomum cassiaCassia oilPO-induced HUA miceLower liver XDH/XOD activities[13, 14]
Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kaneh. leafEssential oil (cinnamaldehyde)PO-induced HUA miceInhibitory effects on XOD[15]
Lonicera hypoglauca Miq.Lonicera flavoneIn vivo and in vitro
PO-induced HUA mice
Suppress XOD activity[16]
Rhizomes of Curcuma longa L.CurcuminPO-induced HUA miceSuppress serum and liver XOD; suppress NLRP3[17]
Smilax china L.Engeletin, astilbin, polydatin, chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, caffeic acid, rutin, oxyresveratrol, and resveratrolIn vivo and in intro, Fructose induced HUA ratsSuppress XOD activity; inhibiting TGF-β1, CTGF, PGE2, IL-1[18, 19]
Aurantii fructus immaturus carbonisataCarbon dotsIn vivo and in intro, PO & hypoxanthine induced HUA rats and MSU induced gout ratsInhibit serum and liver XOD activity[20]
Cordyceps militaris (L. ex Fr.) LinkExopolysaccharidesPO-induced HUA miceXOD inhibitory activities; renal protection[21]

Hepatic effects (in formulas)
Ermiao wanPhellodendri cortex and rhizome atractylodisPO-induced HUA miceInhibiting XDH and XO activities; improved kidney fibrosis[22]

Renal actions (in simples)
Cordyceps militaris (L. ex Fr.) Link.LYS145, ARG477, ARG325, and ASP168PO-induced HUA miceInhibition activity on URAT1 protein levels[23]
Herbaceous peonyTotal glucosidesAdenine and ethambutol induced urateUpregulate renal OAT1, downregulate renal GLUT9 and URAT1; improved kidney histopathological alterations[24]
Rhizoma Dioscoreae
Nipponicae
Total saponinsPO-induced HUA miceRegulate OAT1, OAT3, URAT1and GLUT9 mRNA and protein levels[25]
Fraxini CortexAesculetin, aesculin, fraxetin, and fraxin,Hypoxanthine and PO induce HUA RatsDownregulated GLUT9 and URAT1 mRNA and protein levels[26]

Renal actions (in formulas)
Simiao pillPhellodendri cortex, atractylodis rhizome, achyranthes root, and coix seedPO-induced HUA miceIncrease FEUA levels and decreased serum uric acid levels; regulate renal mOAT1, mURAT1, and mGLUT9,renal mOCTN1, mOCTN2, and mOCT1, mOCT2,[27]
Wuling SanPolyporus umbellatus (Pers.) Fries, Wolfiporia cocos (Schw.) Ryv. & Gibn, Alisma, plantago-aquatica subsp. orientale (Sam.) Sam., Cinnamomi cortex, Atractylodes macrocephala, Koidz.PO-induced HUA mice and high fructose fed HUA miceDownregulate renal mGLUT9 and mURAT1 mRNA and protein levels , upregulate those of mOAT1, mOCT1, mOCT2, and mOCTN2;reverse dysregulation of URAT1, GLUT9, ABCG2 and OAT1, and OCT1 and OCT2 ,inhibit TLR4/MyD88 signaling and NF-κB, signaling and MAPKs; suppress NLRP3 and renal secretion of IL-1β[28, 29]
Erding formula (Erding granule)Viola yedoensis Makino Lobelia chinensis Lour, Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz. and Isatis, indigotica Fort, PO-induced HUA micePO-induced HUA miceSuppress URAT1 mRNA expression and enhance that of OAT3; analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects; downregulate GLUT9 and URAT1 protein expression and upregulate OAT1 protein expression[30, 31]
Compound tufuling granulesRhizoma Smilacis Glabrae, Rhizoma, Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae, Pseudobulbus, Cremastrae seu Pleiones, Semen Vaccariae, Radix Achyranthis BidentataeYeast extract and PO-induced HUA miceInhibit GLUT9[32, 33]
Xie-Zhuo-Chu-Bi-FangSmilacis glabrae rhizoma, Heterosmilacis, Rhizoma, Cremastrae Pseudobulbus, Achyranthis, Bidentatae Radix, and Vaccariae SemenYeast extract and PO-induced HUA miceInhibit URAT1 mRNA expression[34, 35]
Quzhuotongbi decoctionSmilax glabra Roxb., Dioscorea septemloba Thunb., Maydis stigma, coix seed, Alismatis rhizome, Humulus scandens, Parasitic loranthus, Herba Siegesbeckiae, turmeric, Corydalis, Rhizoma and Citrus medicaA high yeast-fed HUA ratInhibit URAT1 expression[36]

Renal and intestinal actions (in simples)
Dioscorea tokoro Makino ex MiyabeDioscin (tigogenin)PO-induced HUA miceInhibit URAT1and promote ABCG2[37]
Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.)Aesculin, chicoric acid, chlorogenic acid, 14(15)-diene-3α-ol, 13,14-seco-stigma5(6), and isochlorogenic acid A/B/C,In vivo and in intro, fructose induced HUA miceDownregulate XOD activity and upregulate renal OAT3 mRNA; downregulate intestinal ABCG2 mRNA and protein. Suppress renal GLUT9 protein[3840]

Hepatic and renal dual actions (in simples)
Smilax glabra Roxb.Total flavonoids (neoastilbin, astilbin, neoisoastilbin, and isoastilbin)PO-induced HUA miceSuppress XOD and upregulate the expression of OAT1, OCTN2, and the mRNA (mOAT1 and mOCTN2) in kidney tissue[41]
Gnaphalium pensylvanicum willd.Caffeoylquinic acid derivatives (chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid methyl ester and 1,5- dicaffeoylquinic acid)PO-induced HUA miceDownregulate GLUT9 and URAT1 expression, upregulate OAT1 expression, and inhibit XOD activity[42]
Smilax ripariaTotal saponins (smilax-chinoside A and smilax-chinoside C. timosaponin J and riparoside B)PO-induced HUA miceDownregulate renal mURAT1, inhibit XOD[4346]
Morus alba L.Morin(3,5,7,2',4'-pentahydroxyflavone)In vivo and in vitro, PO-induced HUA miceRegulate URAT1 (need further research), inhibition of XOD[47]
Paederia scandensAsperuloside, paederoside, and scandosideIn vivo and in intro, PO-induced HUA miceInhibit XOD, inhibit renal urate reabsorption[48]
Camellia sinensis TheaceaeGreen tea polyphenols (catechins)PO-induced HUA miceInhibit serum and liver XOD, decrease URAT1 expression and promote OAT1 and OAT3 expression[49]
Alismatis rhizoma and rhizoma smilacis glabraeNot availablePO & adenine induced HUA ratsInhibit XOD, downregulate renal URAT1 expression[50]

Hepatic and renal dual actions (in formulas)
Sanmiao wanAchyranthes root, phellodendri cortex, and atractylodes rhizomePO-induced HUA miceInhibit hepatic XOD, downregulate kidney mURAT1[51]
Modified Chuanhu anti-gout mixtureD. nipponica, P. cuspidatum, honeysuckle rattan, Radix cyathulae, glabrous greenbrier, Radix saposhnikoviae, Radix clematidis, Rhizoma chuanxiong, coix seed, Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizomePO-induced HUA miceInhibit liver XOD and kidney URAT1 levels[52]
ShiZhiFangPlantago seeds, white mustard seeds, vaccaria seeds, and abutilon seedsPO-induced HUA ratsFacilitate renal rOAT3 and rOAT1 transcription and expression and inhibit serum XOD activity[53]

Hepatic, renal, and intestinal triple actions (in simples)
Dendrobium officinalis six nostrumSiMiao Wan by adding Dendrobium officinalisPO & high-fat sorghum induced HUA with hyperlipidemia ratUpregulate HPRT1, inhibit liver XOD, increase renal and intestinal ABCG2 content, reduce PDZK1content, and inhibit NLRP3 and caspase 1 activation[54]

Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects
Rhizoma smilacis glabraeWater extractMonosodium urate and PO-induced HUA and gout murineUpregulating the expression of catalase[5557]
Alpinia officinarum HanceGalanginIn vitroSuppression NLRP3, NF-κB and PI3K /AKT PKB signaling pathway activation[58]

HUA, hyperuricemia; PO, potassium oxonate; MSU, monosodium urate; XO/XOD, xanthine oxidase; XDH, xanthine dehydrogenase; CTGF, connective tissue growth factor; PGE2, prostaglandin E2; IL, interleukin; URAT1, urate transporter one; GLUT9, glucose transporter nine; OAT1/3, organic anion transporter one and three; FEUA, fraction excretion of uric acid; OCT1/2, organic cation transporter; OCTN1/2, organic cation/carnitine transporter one and two; TLR4/MyD88, toll-like receptor 4 /myeloid differentiation factor 88; NF-κB, nuclear factor-kappa B; MAPKs, mitogen-activated protein kinases; NLRP3, the NOD-like receptor P3 inflammasome; ABCG2, adenosine triphosphate- (ATP-) binding cassette transporter two; HGPRT, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase; PI3K, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase; PKB, protein kinase B; PDZK1, PDZ domain protein kidney one; SOD, superoxide dismutase; GSH glutathione; MDA, malondialdehyde.