Aggregation of Calcium Phosphate and Oxalate Phases in the Formation of Renal Stones.

The majority of human kidney stones are comprised of multiple calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals encasing a calcium phosphate nucleus. The physiochemical mechanism of nephrolithiasis has not been well determined on the molecular level; this is crucial to the control and prevention of renal stone formation. This work investigates the role of phosphate ions on the formation of calcium oxalate stones; recent work has identified amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) as a rapidly forming initial precursor to the formation of calcium phosphate minerals in vivo. The effect of phosphate on the nucleation of COM has been investigated using the constant composition (CC) method in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Our findings indicate COM nucleation is strongly promoted by the presence of phosphate; this occurs at relatively low phosphate concentrations, undersaturated with respect to brushite (dicalcium phosphate dehydrate, DCPD) formation. The results show that ACP plays a crucial role in the nucleation of calcium oxalate stones by promoting the aggregation of amorphous calcium oxalate (ACO) precursors at early induction times. The coaggregations of ACP and ACO precursors induce the multiple-point nucleation of COM. These novel findings expand our knowledge of urinary stone development, providing potential targets for treating the condition at the molecular level.

Tracking Amorphous Precursor Formation and Transformation during Induction Stages of Nucleation.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) participates in vertebral bone and tooth formation by a nonclassical hitherto unknown nucleation mechanism, in which amorphous precursors form and transform during long induction periods. Elucidation of the mechanism by which amorphous precursors assemble and transform is essential to understanding how hard tissues form in vivo and will advance the design and fabrication of new biomaterials. The combination of conductance and potentiometric techniques to monitor Ca-P mineral formation has given new insight into the mechanism of nucleation. Differences detected in the dehydration rates of calcium and phosphate ions indicate the formation of nonequilibrium calcium-deficient clusters. The aggregation of these clusters forms a calcium-deficient amorphous phase I [Ca-(HPO4)1+x ·nH2O]2x-) early in the induction period, which slowly transforms to amorphous phase II [Ca-(HPO4)·mH2O] by dehydration. Precritical nuclei form within amorphous phase II later in the induction period, leading to mineral formation.

Kinetics of canine dental calculus crystallization: an in vitro study on the influence of inorganic components of canine saliva.

This work identifies carbonated hydroxyapatite (CAP) as the primary component of canine dental calculus, and corrects the long held belief that canine dental calculus is primarily CaCO3 (calcite). CAP is known to be the principal crystalline component of human dental calculus, suggesting that there are previously unknown similarities in the calcification that occurs in these two unique oral environments. In vitro kinetic experiments mimicking the inorganic components of canine saliva have examined the mechanisms of dental calculus formation. The solutions were prepared so as to mimic the inorganic components of canine saliva; phosphate, carbonate, and magnesium ion concentrations were varied individually to investigate the roll of these ions in controlling the nature of the phases that is nucleated. To date, the inorganic components of the canine oral systems have not been investigated at concentrations that mimic those in vivo. The mineral composition of the synthetic calculi grown under these conditions closely resembled samples excised from canines. This finding adds new information about calculus formation in humans and canines, and their sensitivity to chemicals used to treat these conditions.