Abstract
Lifeceramics (LC) is made of zeolite and oyster shell and is hypothesized to act as an anti-oxidative agent. In the present study, the effects of LC-treated water (LC water) on the concentration of serum uric acid (SUA) and the hemorheological parameters in male rats with hyperuricemia (HUA) was assessed. To prepare LC water, distilled water was mixed with LC particles. HUA was induced in rats by daily potassium oxonate (PO) injection (250 mg/kg). The PO-injected rats were separated into three different groups and were administered distilled water (PO rats), allopurinol [a xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitor] solution [PO + allopurinol (AP) rats] or LC water (PO+LC rats) by gavage. Control rats were intraperitoneally injected with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution and administered untreated distilled water by gavage. After injection and gavage for 5 weeks, the SUA concentration, hemorheology index and antioxidant index were measured. The SUA concentration and blood deformation index of the PO rats were significantly higher and lower, respectively, compared with the control rats. However, in the PO+LC rats, the SUA concentration and blood deformation index decreased and increased, respectively, to a level similar to that of the control as well as that in the PO+AP rats. Furthermore, the PO-induced increase in XOD activity was suppressed by combined treatment with LC water, resulting in a decrease in malondialdehyde concentration. These results suggest that LC water can reduce the SUA concentration, increase serum antioxidant activity and improve hemorheological activity in hyperuricemic rats.