Evidence for a new mammalian organ. IV. Stone formation.

We studied calcium oxalate stone formation in rats after calculogenesis had been induced by a diet deficient in pyridoxine (vitamin B6). Urinary calculi had formed within 6 weeks in 86 per cent of 114 animals. The calcium handling properties of 17 tissues (including the renal sinus "gland") were compared in normal and pyridoxine deficient animals. A significant increase in calcium (85Sr) uptake was found in the renal sinus "gland" and the renal medulla after pyridoxine deprivation. The movement of calcium from the perihilar sinus tissues into the renal medulla was examined and the significance of our observations is discussed.