Urolithiasis inhibitors and calculus nucleation.

The possible inhibitors of heterogeneous nucleation were investigated. The effects of magnesium, pyrophosphate, citrate and Chondroitin Sulphate on calcium phosphate or uric acid heterogeneous nucleation of calcium oxalate were studied. It was found that whereas magnesium, pyrophosphate and citrate acted as effective inhibitors in the presence of calcium phosphate as heterogeneous nucleant, only chondroitin sulphate manifested important inhibitory effects when uric acid was the heterogeneous nucleant.