title: Uric acid urolithiasis and crystallization inhibitors.
abstract: An in vitro study of the inhibitory effects that some substances occasionally present in urine can provoke on the crystallization of uric acid has been performed. The most remarkable crystallization inhibitory effects were produced by mucine at concentrations of >0.5 mg/l. Pentosan polysulfate and chondroitin sulfate also clearly increased the uric acid crystallization times at concentrations of >100 mg/l. Saponins, such as escin and glycyrrhizic acid, also produced a notable delay in uric acid crystallization times at concentrations of >10 mg/l. Similar effects were observed in the presence of a surfactant substance, lauryl sulfate. N-Acetyl-L-cysteine caused crystallization perturbations only when it was present at concentrations of >50 mg/l. Citric acid and phytic acid caused no effects on uric acid crystallization even at the highest concentrations assayed (1,000 and 5 mg/l, respectively). From the results obtained it can be deduced that mainly glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans and surfactant substances can exert protective effects against uric acid crystallization.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Urolithiasis Research, Faculty of Sciences, University of Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. dqufgf0@ps.uib.es
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grases
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramis
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Villacampa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa-Bauzá
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D003460:Crystallization; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D009077:Mucins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D012503:Saponins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014527:Uric Acid; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D009077:Mucins; D012503:Saponins; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014527:Uric Acid; D019343:Citric Acid; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; D010833:Phytic Acid; C028913:dodecyl sulfate; D000111:Acetylcysteine