Red Blood Cell Membrane Fragments but Not Intact Red Blood Cells Promote Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Crystal Growth and Aggregation

No AccessJournal of UrologyInvestigative Urology1 Aug 2010Red Blood Cell Membrane Fragments but Not Intact Red Blood Cells Promote Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Crystal Growth and Aggregation Somchai Chutipongtanate and Visith Thongboonkerd Somchai ChutipongtanateSomchai Chutipongtanate and Visith ThongboonkerdVisith Thongboonkerd View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2010.03.107AboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract Purpose: Cell membranes are thought to promote calcium oxalate kidney stone formation but to our knowledge the modulating effect of red blood cell membranes on calcium oxalate crystals has not been previously investigated. Thus, we examined the effects of red blood cell membrane fragments on calcium oxalate monohydrate and calcium oxalate dihydrate crystal growth and aggregation. Materials and Methods: Calcium oxalate monohydrate and calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals were treated with red blood cell membrane fragments or intact red blood cells from a healthy donor. Phase contrast microscopy was performed to evaluate crystal morphology and aggregation. We used ImageMaster™ 2D Platinum software to evaluate crystal size and spectrophotometric oxalate depletion assay to monitor crystal growth. Results: Red blood cell membrane fragments had significant promoting activity on calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal growth with an approximately 75% increase in size and aggregation with an approximately 2.5-fold increase in aggregate number compared to the control without membrane fragments or cells. Approximately 50% of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals were adhered by red blood cell membrane fragments. Intact red blood cells had no significant effect on calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal growth or aggregation but they could transform calcium oxalate monohydrate to calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals. Red blood cell membrane fragments and intact red blood cells had no effect on calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals. The promoting activity of red blood cell membrane fragments on calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal growth was successfully confirmed by spectrophotometric oxalate depletion assay. Conclusions: To our knowledge our data provide the first direct evidence that red blood cell membrane fragments are a promoting factor for calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal growth and aggregation. Thus, they may aggravate calcium oxalate stone formation. References 1 : Distribution of organic matrix in calcium oxalate renal calculi. Calcif Tissue Int1981; 33: 211. Google Scholar 2 : Presence of lipids in urine, crystals and stones: implications for the formation of kidney stones. Kidney Int2002; 62: 2062. Google Scholar 3 : Glycosaminoglycans, proteins, and stone formation: adult themes and child's play. Pediatr Nephrol1996; 10: 656. Google Scholar 4 : Role of organic matrix in urinary stone formation: an ultrastructural study of crystal matrix interface of calcium oxalate monohydrate stones. J Urol1993; 150: 239. Link, Google Scholar 5 : Nucleation, adhesion, and internalization of calcium-containing urinary crystals by renal cells. J Am Soc Nephrol1999; 10: S422. Google Scholar 6 : Citrate and renal calculi: an update. Miner Electrolyte Metab1994; 20: 371. Medline, Google Scholar 7 : Isolation from human calcium oxalate renal stones of nephrocalcin, a glycoprotein inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystal growth: Evidence that nephrocalcin from patients with calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis is deficient in gamma-carboxyglutamic acid. J Clin Invest1987; 79: 1782. Google Scholar 8 : Inhibition of calcium oxalate crystal growth in vitro by uropontin: another member of the aspartic acid-rich protein superfamily. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA1992; 89: 426. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar 9 : The urinary F1 activation peptide of human prothrombin is a potent inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystallization in undiluted human urine in vitro. Clin Sci (Lond)1995; 89: 533. Google Scholar 10 : Role of urinary bikunin in the inhibition of calcium oxalate crystallization. J Am Soc Nephrol1999; 10: S385. Google Scholar 11 : Identification of human urinary trefoil factor 1 as a novel calcium oxalate crystal growth inhibitor. J Clin Invest2005; 115: 3613. Google Scholar 12 : Correspondence between stone composition and urine supersaturation in nephrolithiasis. Kidney Int1997; 51: 894. Crossref, Medline, Google Scholar 13 : Kidney stones. Lancet1998; 351: 1797. Google Scholar 14 : Membranes and their constituents as promoters of calcium oxalate crystal formation in human urine. Calcif Tissue Int2000; 66: 90. Google Scholar 15 : Intratubular crystallization of calcium oxalate in the presence of membrane vesicles: an in vitro study. Kidney Int2001; 59: 169. Google Scholar 16 : Specific modulatory effect of arachidonic acid on human red blood cell oxalate transport: clinical implications in calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. J Am Soc Nephrol1999; 10: S381. Google Scholar 17 : Abnormal arachidonic acid content of red blood cell membranes and main lithogenic factors in stone formers. Nephrol Dial Transplant2000; 15: 1388. Google Scholar 18 : Mulberry particles formed by red blood cells in human weddelite stones. J Urol1983; 129: 855. Link, Google Scholar 19 : Factors determining types and morphologies of calcium oxalate crystals: Molar concentrations, buffering, pH, stirring and temperature. Clin Chim Acta2006; 367: 120. Google Scholar 20 : Urinary trefoil factor 1 is a novel potent inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystal growth and aggregation. J Urol2008; 179: 1615. Link, Google Scholar 21 : Blue silver: a very sensitive colloidal Coomassie G-250 staining for proteome analysis. Electrophoresis2004; 25: 1327. Google Scholar 22 : Urine glycoprotein crystal growth inhibitors: Evidence for a molecular abnormality in calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. J Clin Invest1985; 76: 1455. Google Scholar 23 : The dissolution of calcium oxalate kidney stones: A kinetic study. J Urol1982; 128: 205. Google Scholar 24 : Direct nucleation of calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals onto the surface of living renal epithelial cells in culture. Kidney Int1998; 54: 796. Google Scholar 25 : Crystal surface adhesion explains the pathological activity of calcium oxalate hydrates in kidney stone formation. J Am Soc Nephrol2005; 16: 1904. Google Scholar 26 : Stone analysis. Urol Res2006; 34: 146. Google Scholar 27 : Controversial cases in endourology. J Endourol2006; 20: 612. Google Scholar 28 : Haemolytic uraemic syndrome with prolonged anuria and cortical calcification: a case report. Pediatr Nephrol1990; 4: 65. Google Scholar Medical Proteomics Unit, Office for Research and Development, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital and Center for Research in Complex Systems Sciences, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byAssimos D (2019) Re: Geobiology Reveals how Human Kidney Stones Dissolve In VivoJournal of Urology, VOL. 201, NO. 4, (663-664), Online publication date: 1-Apr-2019. Volume 184Issue 2August 2010Page: 743-749 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.Keywordscrystallizationerythrocytescalcium oxalatekidney calculikidneyAcknowledgmentsDr. Suchai Sritippayawan provided stone former urine samples.MetricsAuthor Information Somchai Chutipongtanate More articles by this author Visith Thongboonkerd More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...