title: Efficacy of Mixtures of Magnesium, Citrate and Phytate as Calcium Oxalate Crystallization Inhibitors in Urine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mixtures of magnesium, citrate and phytate as calcium oxalate crystallization inhibitors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A turbidimetric assay in synthetic urine was performed to obtain induction times for calcium oxalate crystallization in the absence and presence of different mixtures of inhibitors. The morphology of calcium oxalate crystals in the absence or presence of inhibitors and mixtures of the inhibitors was evaluated in 2 crystallization experiments at low and high calcium oxalate supersaturation. The crystals formed were examined using scanning electron microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Examination of crystallization induction times revealed clear inhibitory effects of magnesium, citrate and phytate on calcium oxalate crystallization, supporting usefulness in the treatment and prevention of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. Significant synergistic effects between magnesium and phytate were observed. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that phytate is a powerful crystal growth inhibitor of calcium oxalate, totally preventing the formation of trihydrate and monohydrate. In addition to crystallization inhibition capacity, citrate and magnesium avoided calcium oxalate crystallization by decreasing its supersaturation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The synergistic effect between magnesium and phytate on calcium oxalate crystallization suggests that a combination of these 2 compounds may be highly useful as antilithiasis therapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Renal Lithiasis Research, Faculty of Sciences, University Institute of Health Sciences Research, University of Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Electronic address: fgrases@uib.es.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grases
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Renal Lithiasis Research, Faculty of Sciences, University Institute of Health Sciences Research, University of Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Renal Lithiasis Research, Faculty of Sciences, University Institute of Health Sciences Research, University of Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa-Bauza
mesh_terms: D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D002951:Citrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003460:Crystallization; D004357:Drug Synergism; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010833:Phytic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014556:Urine
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D002129:Calcium Oxalate; D019343:Citric Acid; D010833:Phytic Acid; D008274:Magnesium
keywords: calcium oxalate; citric acid; magnesium; nephrolithiasis; phytic acid