Interaction between submicron COD crystals and renal epithelial cells

In Vitro Studies Reveal Antiurolithic Effect of Antioxidant Sulfated Polysaccharides from the Green Seaweed Caulerpa cupressoides var flabellata

Urolithiasis affects approximately 10% of the world population and is strongly associated with calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals. Currently, there is no efficient compound that can be used to prevent this disease. However, seaweeds' sulfated polysaccharides (SPs) can change the CaOx crystals surface's charge and thus modify the crystallization dynamics, due to the interaction of the negative charges of these polymers with the crystal surface during their synthesis. We observed that the SPs of Caulerpa cupressoides modified the morphology, size and surface charge of CaOx crystals. Thus, these crystals became similar to those found in healthy persons. In the presence of SPs, dihydrate CaOx crystals showed rounded or dumbbell morphology. Infrared analysis, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry (FITC-conjugated SPs) and atomic composition analysis (EDS) allowed us to propose the mode of action between the Caulerpa's SPs and the CaOx crystals. This study is the first step in understanding the interactions between SPs, which are promising molecules for the treatment of urolithiasis, and CaOx crystals, which are the main cause of kidney stones.

Effects of Calcium Oxalate on Expression of Clusterin and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Prostatitis and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients with Calculi

Background

Prostatic calculi are common in urological treatments. Our major purpose in the present study was to explore the occurrence and composition of prostatic calculi, and investigate the effect of calcium oxalate (CaOx) on clusterin expression and lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) in prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with calculi.

Material/Methods

From December 2016 to January 2017, a total of 79 prostatitis patients aged more than 50 years were enrolled. The patients were divided into 3 groups: group A had small calculi (discrete, small echoes); group B had large calculi (large masses of multiple echoes, much coarser), and group C had no calculi. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to evaluate the tissue scores. The clusterin expression was detected by quantitative real-time CR (qRT-PCR), Western blot, and immunofluorescence.

Results

According to multifactor analysis, age was significantly associated with prostatic calculus. The composition of prostatic calculus was an independent factor of LUTS. The clusterin expression was elevated in group B. The mRNA and protein levels of clusterin in prostatitis and BPH patients with stones were obviously higher than those in prostatitis and BPH patients without stones. CaOx enhanced clusterin expression in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusions

Large prostatic calculi were associated with LUST. Furthermore, CaOx enhanced clusterin expression, leading to large prostatic calculi. These results may provide a therapeutic strategy for prostatitis and BPH.

Alpha-tubulin enhanced renal tubular cell proliferation and tissue repair but reduced cell death and cell-crystal adhesion

Adhesion of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals on renal tubular epithelial cells is a critical event for kidney stone disease that triggers many cascades of cellular response. Our previous expression proteomics study identified several altered proteins in MDCK renal tubular cells induced by CaOx crystals. However, functional significance of those changes had not been investigated. The present study thus aimed to define functional roles of such proteome data. Global protein network analysis using STRING software revealed α-tubulin, which was decreased, as one of central nodes of protein-protein interactions. Overexpression of α-tubulin (pcDNA6.2-TUBA1A) was then performed and its efficacy was confirmed. pcDNA6.2-TUBA1A could maintain levels of α-tubulin and its direct interacting partner, vimentin, after crystal exposure. Also, pcDNA6.2-TUBA1A successfully reduced cell death to almost the basal level and increased cell proliferation after crystal exposure. Additionally, tissue repair capacity was improved in pcDNA6.2-TUBA1A cells. Moreover, cell-crystal adhesion was reduced by pcDNA6.2-TUBA1A. Finally, levels of potential crystal receptors (HSP90, HSP70, and α-enolase) on apical membrane were dramatically reduced to basal levels by pcDNA6.2-TUBA1A. These findings implicate that α-tubulin has protective roles in kidney stone disease by preventing cell death and cell-crystal adhesion, but on the other hand, enhancing cell proliferation and tissue repair function.

Reinjury risk of nano-calcium oxalate monohydrate and calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals on injured renal epithelial cells: aggravation of crystal adhesion and aggregation

BACKGROUND

Renal epithelial cell injury facilitates crystal adhesion to cell surface and serves as a key step in renal stone formation. However, the effects of cell injury on the adhesion of nano-calcium oxalate crystals and the nano-crystal-induced reinjury risk of injured cells remain unclear.

METHODS

African green monkey renal epithelial (Vero) cells were injured with H2O2 to establish a cell injury model. Cell viability, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malonaldehyde (MDA) content, propidium iodide staining, hematoxylin-eosin staining, reactive oxygen species production, and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) were determined to examine cell injury during adhesion. Changes in the surface structure of H2O2-injured cells were assessed through atomic force microscopy. The altered expression of hyaluronan during adhesion was examined through laser scanning confocal microscopy. The adhesion of nano-calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) and calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) crystals to Vero cells was observed through scanning electron microscopy. Nano-COM and COD binding was quantitatively determined through inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry.

RESULTS

The expression of hyaluronan on the cell surface was increased during wound healing because of Vero cell injury. The structure and function of the cell membrane were also altered by cell injury; thus, nano-crystal adhesion occurred. The ability of nano-COM to adhere to the injured Vero cells was higher than that of nano-COD crystals. The cell viability, SOD activity, and Δψm decreased when nano-crystals attached to the cell surface. By contrast, the MDA content, reactive oxygen species production, and cell death rate increased.

CONCLUSION

Cell injury contributes to crystal adhesion to Vero cell surface. The attached nano-COM and COD crystals can aggravate Vero cell injury. As a consequence, crystal adhesion and aggregation are enhanced. These findings provide further insights into kidney stone formation.

Nanouric acid or nanocalcium phosphate as central nidus to induce calcium oxalate stone formation: a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy study on urinary nanocrystallites

PURPOSE

This study aimed to accurately analyze the relationship between calcium oxalate (CaOx) stone formation and the components of urinary nanocrystallites.

METHOD

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction, fast Fourier transformation of HRTEM, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were performed to analyze the components of these nanocrystallites.

RESULTS

The main components of CaOx stones are calcium oxalate monohydrate and a small amount of dehydrate, while those of urinary nanocrystallites are calcium oxalate monohydrate, uric acid, and calcium phosphate. The mechanism of formation of CaOx stones was discussed based on the components of urinary nanocrystallites.

CONCLUSION

The formation of CaOx stones is closely related both to the properties of urinary nanocrystallites and to the urinary components. The combination of HRTEM, fast Fourier transformation, selected area electron diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy could be accurately performed to analyze the components of single urinary nanocrystallites. This result provides evidence for nanouric acid and/or nanocalcium phosphate crystallites as the central nidus to induce CaOx stone formation.

Stabilization of submicron calcium oxalate suspension by chondroitin sulfate C may be an efficient protection from stone formation

The influences of chondroitin sulfate C (C6S) on size, aggregation, sedimentation, and Zeta potential of sub-micron calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) and calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) crystallites with mean sizes of about 330 nm were investigated using an X-ray diffractometer, nanoparticle size Zeta potential analyzer, ultraviolet spectrophotometer, and scanning electron microscope, after which the results were compared with those of micron-grade crystals. C6S inhibited the conversion of COD to COM and the aggregation of COM and COD crystallitesis; it also decreased their sedimentation rate, thus increasing their stability in aqueous solution. The smaller the size of the COD crystallites, the easier they can be converted to COM. The stability of sub-micron COD was worse than that of micron-grade crystals. C6S can inhibit the formation of calcium oxalate stones.

Concave urinary crystallines: direct evidence of calcium oxalate crystals dissolution by citrate in vivo

The changes in urinary crystal properties in patients with calcium oxalate (CaOx) calculi after oral administration of potassium citrate (K₃cit) were investigated via atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), and zeta potential analyzer. The AFM and SEM results showed that the surface of urinary crystals became concave, the edges and corners of crystals became blunt, the average size of urinary crystallines decreased significantly, and aggregation of urinary crystals was reduced. These changes were attributed to the significant increase in concentration of excreted citrate to 492 ± 118 mg/L after K₃cit intake from 289 ± 83 mg/L before K₃cit intake. After the amount of urinary citrate was increased, it complexed with Ca²⁺ ions on urinary crystals, which dissolved these crystals. Thus, the appearance of concave urinary crystals was a direct evidence of CaOx dissolution by citrate in vivo. The XRD results showed that the quantities and species of urinary crystals decreased after K₃cit intake. The mechanism of inhibition of formation of CaOx stones by K₃cit was possibly due to the complexation of Ca²⁺ with citrate, increase in urine pH, concentration of urinary inhibitor glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), and the absolute value of zeta potential after K₃cit intake.

Changes in urinary nanocrystallites in calcium oxalate stone formers before and after potassium citrate intake

The property changes of urinary nanocrystallites in 13 patients with calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones were studied before and after ingestion of potassium citrate (K3cit), a therapeutic drug for stones. The analytical techniques included nanoparticle size analysis, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The studied properties included the components, morphologies, zeta potentials, particle size distributions, light intensity autocorrelation curves, and polydispersity indices (PDIs) of the nanocrystallites. The main components of the urinary nanocrystallites before K3cit intake included uric acid, β-calcium phosphate, and calcium oxalate monohydrate. After K3cit intake, the quantities, species, and percentages of aggregated crystals decreased, whereas the percentages of monosodium urate and calcium oxalate dehydrate increased, and some crystallites became blunt. Moreover, the urinary pH increased from 5.96 ± 0.43 to 6.46 ± 0.50, the crystallite size decreased from 524 ± 320 nm to 354 ± 173 nm, and the zeta potential decreased from -4.85 ± 2.87 mV to -8.77 ± 3.03 mV. The autocorrelation curves became smooth, the decay time decreased from 11.4 ± 3.2 ms to 4.3 ± 1.7 ms, and the PDI decreased from 0.67 ± 0.14 to 0.53 ± 0.19. These changes helped inhibit CaOx calculus formation.