Size-dependent cellular uptake mechanism and cytotoxicity toward calcium oxalate on Vero cells.

Urinary crystals with various sizes are present in healthy individuals and patients with kidney stone; however, the cellular uptake mechanism of calcium oxalate of various sizes has not been elucidated. This study aims to compare the internalization of nano-/micron-sized (50 nm, 100 nm, and 1 μm) calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) and dihydrate (COD) crystals in African green monkey renal epithelial (Vero) cells. The internalization and adhesion of COM and COD crystals to Vero cells were enhanced with decreasing crystal size.

Renal Epithelial Cell Injury Induced by Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate Depends on their Structural Features: Size, Surface, and Crystalline Structure.

Urinary crystals in normal and kidney stone patients often differ in crystal sizes and surface structures, but the effects of different crystal properties on renal tubular epithelial cells remain unclear. This study aimed to compare the cytotoxicity of micron/nano-calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals with sizes of 50 nm, 200 nm, 1 μm, 3 μm, and 10 μm to African green monkey renal epithelial (Vero) cells, to reveal the effect of crystal size and surface structure on cell injury, and to investigate the pathological mechanism of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Cell viability, cellular biochemical parameters, and internalized crystal amount in Vero cells were closely associated with the size of COM crystals.

Reinjury risk of nano-calcium oxalate monohydrate and calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals on injured renal epithelial cells: aggravation of crystal adhesion and aggregation.

Background: Renal epithelial cell injury facilitates crystal adhesion to cell surface and serves as a key step in renal stone formation. However, the effects of cell injury on the adhesion of nano-calcium oxalate crystals and the nano-crystal-induced reinjury risk of injured cells remain unclear.

Methods: African green monkey renal epithelial (Vero) cells were injured with H2O2 to establish a cell injury model.

Adhesion and internalization differences of COM nanocrystals on Vero cells before and after cell damage.

The adhesion and internalization between African green monkey kidney epithelial (Vero) cells (before and after oxidative damage by hydrogen peroxide) and calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) nanocrystals (97±35nm) were investigated so as to discuss the molecular and cellular mechanism of kidney stone formation. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the Vero-COM nanocrystal adhesion; the nanocrystal-cell adhesion was evaluated by measuring the content of malonaldehyde (MDA), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the expression level of cell surface osteopontin (OPN) and the change of Zeta potential. Confocal microscopy and flow cytometry were used for the observation and quantitative analysis of crystal internalization.

Preparation, characterization, and in vitro cytotoxicity of COM and COD crystals with various sizes.

Calcium oxalate crystals in urine often differ in size and crystal phase between healthy humans and patients with kidney stones. In this work, calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) and dihydrate (COD) with sizes of about 50 nm, 100 nm, 1 μm, 3 μm, and 10 μm were prepared by varying reactant concentration, reaction temperature, solvent, mixing manner, and stirring speed. These crystals mainly had a smooth surface and no obvious pore structure, except COM-1 μm.

Size-dependent toxicity and interactions of calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals on Vero renal epithelial cells.

Unlabelled: Urinary crystals in normal and kidney stone patients often have varying sizes; the interaction between renal epithelial cells and COD crystals generated in the tubular fluid could play an initiating role in the pathophysiology of calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. This study aims to compare the cytotoxicity of micro/nano-calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) crystals (50 nm, 100 nm, 600 nm, 3 μm, and 10 μm) toward African green monkey renal epithelial (Vero) cells to reveal the mechanism of kidney stone formation at the molecular and cellular levels.

Methods: Vero cells were exposed to COD crystals of varying sizes at a concentration of 200 μg mL for 6 h.