Raising urinary citrate lowers calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate crystal formation in whole urine.
Crystal formation in whole urine was studied by the technique of rapid evaporation to 1,250 mosmol/l with and without raising citrate concentration by 40-50%. The added citrate reduced calcium oxalate crystal formation at pH 5.3 by about 25% and reduced calcium phosphate crystal formation at pH 6.8 by some 42%. These results support the view that citrate is important in maintaining calcium in solution in whole urine, and that raising the urinary citrate could be effective treatment for calcium oxalate/phosphate urolithiasis.
D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000652:urine*; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000652:urine*; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D002951:Citrates / Q000652:urine*; D003460:Crystallization; D006801:Humans; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000517:prevention & control
D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D002951:Citrates; D002129:Calcium Oxalate