sodium-dodecyl-sulfate and Urinary-Calculi

In order to investigate the mechanism of urinary tract stone formation, we analyzed protein components in urine and the stone. Urinary proteins of healthy subjects and urolithic patients as well as protein components urinary tract stone of the urolithic patients were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Electrophoretic patterns of urinary proteins of the patients differed from those of healthy subjects after separating protein patterns into those larger than 66kDa or smaller than 30kDa. Protein constituents of urinary tract stone were mainly separated into 18 bands ranging from 26.8 to 143 kDa. Major bands among these 18 bands differed among stones from different patients. On western blotting, the developed intensities of Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) were fainter than those of healthy subjects. Whereas intensities of albumin (ALB) were stronger than those of healthy subjects. Moreover, blotting patterns of THP of the patients on non-reducing SDS-PAGE were obviously broad. Thus, we suggest that analysis of fractionated urinary proteins or protein components of urinary tract stone may provide a tool for monitoring the prognosis or relapse in the patients.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Albumins; Albuminuria; Biomarkers; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Weight; Mucoproteins; Proteins; Proteinuria; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; Urinary Calculi; Uromodulin

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.

Topics: Acetylcysteine; Citric Acid; Crystallization; Glycosaminoglycans; Humans; Mucins; Phytic Acid; Saponins; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; Surface-Active Agents; Uric Acid; Urinary Calculi

Topics: Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Humans; Molecular Weight; Proteins; Proteinuria; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; Urinary Calculi