feces metagenome Raw sequence reads

Qu-zhuo-tong-bi decoction (QZTBD) is an empirical traditional Chinese medicine prescription for clinical therapy of hyperuricemia and gout without serious adverse effects. However, its underlying mechanism is not fully explored. In this study, we investigated the effects of QZTBD on the structural composition of gut micriobiota and the fundamental mechanism. A mouse model of gout arthritis was established by combination of high fat diet and monosodium urate injection. QZTBD and positive control drug febuxostat (FBST) were administrated by gavages for six weeks. 16S rRNA sequencing was adopted to analyze the structure of intestinal flora. The contents of primary SCFAs in feces were detected by GC-MS. Immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting were used to identify the expression of intestinal tissue tight junction related proteins, GPR43 and glycolytic key enzymes. We demonstrated that deficiency of butyrate-producing bacteria in intestine was closely associated with the severity of gout arthritis, and QZTBD effectively decreased serum uric acid level and suppressed paw edema and mechanical allodynia by promoting the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria and the production of SCFAs. In addition, QZTBD restored the intestinal barrier function, modulated the expression of GPR43, suppressed the activity of key glycolysis-related enzymes, and inhibited the production of intestinal inflammatory factors. These findings suggest that QZTBD and other probiotics may represent promising therapeutic strategy for gout treatment.