Vitamin E therapy prevents hyperoxaluria-induced calcium oxalate crystal deposition in the kidney by improving renal tissue antioxidant status.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether vitamin E prevents hyperoxaluria-induced stone formation, using a new animal model of calcium oxalate stone disease, as our previous in- vitro and in-vivo studies showed that oxalate and hyperoxaluria induce free-radical generation, which results in peroxidative injury to renal tubular cells.

METHODS

Ethylene glycol (EG) was administered at 150 mg/day by gavage for 3 weeks to rats fed on diets with adequate (group 1), excess (group 2) or deficient (group 3) vitamin E. Several indicators of peroxidation, free radicals and enzymatic activity were then assessed.

RESULTS

EG treatment in group 1 lead to increased lipid peroxidation, protein thiol, excretion of urinary enzymes, oxalate and decreases in urinary calcium, antioxidant enzymes and altered glutathione redox balance. Although renal function was not altered, there was increased water intake, urine volume and lowered urinary pH in these rats. These changes were more intense, with extensive calcium-oxalate crystal deposition, in rats in group 3, and prevented in rats in group 2, except for urinary oxalate levels, which remained high. Histopathological examination showed that there was no deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in rats in group 2.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to demonstrate in-vivo evidence that hyperoxaluria-induced peroxidative injury induces individual calcium oxalate crystal attachment in the renal tubules. In addition, excess vitamin E completely prevented calcium oxalate deposition, by preventing peroxidative injury and restoring renal tissue antioxidants and glutathione redox balance. Therefore, vitamin E therapy might provide protection against the deposition of calcium oxalate stones in the kidney of humans.