Abstract
Hyperuricemia, caused by deficient hepatic uricase activity and renal uric acid uptake, causes human gout. Recently, we have started validation studies to emplay the chimeric mouse containing human hepatocytes as a potent animal model of hyperuricemia. Chimeric mice with more than a 70% of human hepatocyte replacement index were evaluated regarding their plasma uric acid concentration as compared with host and SCID mice. Changes in the body weight and human albumin level in blood after the transplan. tation of human hepatocytes were also followed in chimeric mice. The plasma uric acid levels in SCID and host mice were approximately 1.0 and 3.0 mg/ dl, respectively. For most chimeric mice, the plasma uric acid level was equal to that of host mice. However more than 7.0mg/ml was confirmed in some chimeric mice. In these chimeric mice, a high blood human albumin level and low body weight were characteristic features.
