Studies on the reduction of aortic calcification by alkali citrates in an ex vivo tissue preparation in the rat.

The effect of orally administered alkali citrates on the calcification of arterial vessel was studied in the rat. Freshly dissected aortic segments were placed in Millipore diffusion chambers and grafted intraperitoneally. Within 21 days calcification of the media had developed. Under treatment with 2.1 mmol citrate per animal and day a significant decrease in histologically detectable calcification areas occurred, as assessed by greatest thickness and longitudinal expansion. This effect was more pronounced with potassium citrate and potassium sodium citrate, and less marked with sodium citrate. The calcium and phosphorus content of aortic tissue remained unchanged, but magnesium increased significantly. The spheroid particles deposited in the media were characterized in more detail by electron microscopy and elemental microanalysis, X-ray diffraction, and determination of the molar calcium-phosphorus ratio. The combined data suggest that in the model selected for studying biocalcification not mature hydroxyapatite but some precursor of this substance is deposited, and that in animals receiving alkali citrate treatment deposition of amorphous calcium phosphate is likely. It is concluded that in the ex vivo aortic wall preparation oral alkali citrates a) bring about a reduction in calcification areas in the media layer, b) impair the maturation of hydroxyapatite and its deposition in the arterial tissue; c) promote the accumulation of magnesium. Whether these results are of significance for the calcification of arteries in situ and treatment regimens is unknown.