Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi Decoction attenuates gouty arthritis and kidney fibrosis by regulating urate transporters and JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gouty arthritis (GA), a metabolic disorder, presents as recurrent acute arthritis with hyperuricemia. Huazhuo Sanjie Chubi decoction (HSCD), a traditional Chinese medicine oral decoction, has been extensively utilized for spleen deficiency with damp retention and GA management. However, its mechanisms against GA and associated renal fibrosis remain underexplored.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which HSCD mitigates GA and hyperuricemia-associated renal fibrosis.

METHODS

The chemical components of HSCD were analyzed by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS. Serum and urine samples were collected to assess uric acid (UA) levels and renal function. H&E, Gomori's methenamine silver, and Masson's trichrome staining were performed to assess pathological changes in the ankles and kidneys. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), Western blot analyses, and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were conducted to investigate potential mechanisms.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight key compounds in HSCD were quantified. HSCD treatment significantly reduced serum and urine UA levels, decreased monosodium urate crystal deposition, inhibited inflammation in the ankle and kidney, and alleviated renal fibrosis. These effects were attributed to the modulation of renal transporters OAT1, OAT2, ABCG2, and Glut9 to promote UA excretion, thereby mitigating GA and renal fibrosis. RNA-seq, Western blot, and RT-qPCR further suggested that the anti-GA and anti-renal fibrosis effects of HSCD were related to the regulation of renal transporters and deactivation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

HSCD exerts therapeutical effects against GA and renal fibrosis by improving arthritis symptoms, reducing UA levels, regulating renal transporters, and deactivating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. These effects highlighted its pharmacological potential and enhancing the scientific foundation for its clinical use in treating GA and related renal fibrosis.