Investigation of Pharmacological Mechanisms and Active Ingredients of Cichorium intybus L. in Alleviating Renal Urate Deposition via lncRNA H19/miR-21-3p Regulation to Enhance ABCG2 Expression

作者：Xiaoye An, Yi Xu, Qiuyue Mao, Chengjin Lu, Xiaoyang Yin, Siying Chen, Bing Zhang, Zhijian Lin, Yu Wang · 发表于：International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/ijms26167892 · 被引用次数：4 · 研究领域：Gout, Hyperuricemia, Uric Acid、Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research、Inflammasome and immune disorders

Renal urate deposition is a pathological inflammatory condition characterized by the accumulation of urate crystals in the kidneys, resulting from uric acid supersaturation. Cichorium intybus L. (chicory) is a traditional medicinal herb recognized for its efficacy in treating hyperuricemia and gout; however, its effectiveness and underlying mechanisms in mitigating renal urate deposition remain inadequately understood. This study investigates the role of the ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2 (ABCG2) transporter and the lncRNA H19/miR-21-3p in renal urate deposition, while also validating the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of chicory extract. Renal urate deposition was induced in rats through the administration of potassium oxonate, adenine, yeast extract, and lipopolysaccharide. The levels of serum uric acid (SUA), urate deposition, inflammation, renal function, and histological changes were analyzed. Dual-luciferase assays, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and immunohistochemistry were utilized to elucidate the relationship among ABCG2, lncRNA H19, and miR-21-3p. The chemical composition and active ingredients of chicory were analyzed using UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS, along with molecular docking and cell experiments. In rats with renal urate deposition, serum UA levels were elevated, renal UA excretion was reduced, and levels of low inflammatory factors, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and hype...