| Abstract |
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is widely used as a flavor enhancer and its effects on human
health are still debated. We aimed to investigate whether MSG can act as alkalinizing agent in murine
models and if its metabolites are biomarkers of MSG consumption. For this purpose, adult male Wistar
rats were given water added with 1 g% MSG or three types of control water, including sodium chloride
(NaCl) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). At 14 days, urinary pH, electrolytes, urinary metabolites
and ion-exchanger gene expression were determined. The results revealed that MSG-treated rats
had significantly more alkaline urine and higher levels of urinary sodium and bicarbonate similar to
NaHCO3 controls. These changes correlated with a lower expression of ion-exchanger genes, namely,
CAII, NBC1, and AE1, which are involved in bicarbonate kidney reabsorption. The urinary metabolic
profiles also revealed similar patterns for the MSG and NaHCO3 groups. In conclusion, MSG exhibits
similar properties to NaHCO3, an alkalinizing agent, with regard to inducing alkaline urine, reducing
bicarbonate kidney reabsorption, and generating a specific urinary metabolic pattern. We believe that
these observations will be useful to further study the MSG effects in humans. |
Publication
Journal Publication
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