A combination of monosodium glutamate and high-fat and high-fructose diets increases the risk of kidney injury, gut dysbiosis and host-microbial co-metabolism

PLoS One. 2020 Apr 8;15(4):e0231237. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231237. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Consumption of either monosodium glutamate (MSG) or high-fat and high-fructose (HFF) diets changes the gut microbiome and hence contributes to development of several diseases. In this study, with an emphasis on kidney injury, hamsters were divided into 4 groups as follows: (1) hamsters fed with standard diet (control); (2) hamsters fed with standard diet and MSG in drinking water (MSG); (3) hamsters fed with high-fat and high-fructose diets (HFF), and (4) animals fed MSG+HFF. After 8 months, the animals were used for the study. Despite showing normal kidney function, hamsters fed with MSG+HFF exhibited signs of kidney damage as demonstrated by the highest expression levels of high-mobility group box-1 and kidney injury molecule-1 in kidney tissues, while slight changes of histopathological features in H&E-stained sections and normal levels of creatinine were observed, indicating possible early stages of kidney injury. Sequencing of the microbial 16S rRNA gene revealed that animals fed with the MSG+HFF diet had a higher ratio of gut Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes along with marked changes in abundance and diversity of gut microbiome compared to hamsters fed with MSG or HFF alone. In addition, 1H Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed an elevation of urine p-cresol sulfate levels in the MSG+HFF group. These results indicate that consumption of both MSG and HFF increases the risk of kidney injury, induces gut dysbiosis and an increase in the amount of p-cresol sulfate in hamsters.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacteroidetes / genetics
  • Cresols / urine
  • Cricetinae
  • Diet, Carbohydrate Loading / adverse effects*
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects*
  • Dysbiosis / etiology*
  • Firmicutes / genetics
  • Fructose / administration & dosage*
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / drug effects*
  • HMGB1 Protein / metabolism
  • Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 1 / metabolism
  • Kidney / drug effects
  • Kidney / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mesocricetus
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Renal Insufficiency / etiology*
  • Renal Insufficiency / urine
  • Sodium Glutamate / pharmacology*
  • Sulfuric Acid Esters / urine

Substances

  • Cresols
  • HMGB1 Protein
  • HMGB1 protein, mouse
  • Havcr1 protein, mouse
  • Hepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 1
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Sulfuric Acid Esters
  • Fructose
  • 4-cresol sulfate
  • Sodium Glutamate

Grants and funding

Thatsanapong Pongking thanks the scholarship under the Centre for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University. This study was supported by CKDNET. KI thanks the scholarship under the Post-Doctoral Training Program from Research Affairs and Graduate School, Khon Kaen University,Thailand. (Grant no. 60163). The authors would like to thank all of people whom voluntarily participated in this study.