Adhesion of calcium oxalate crystals to Madin-Darby canine kidney cells and some effects of glycosaminoglycans or cell injuries.

The present investigation studied the quantitative adhesion of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals to the surface of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, which exhibit many characteristics of renal cortical collecting tubule cells. COM crystals adhered to the cell surface, and the attachment showed a time and concentration dependency with plateau. The results suggested that the attachment of microcrystals to the cortical tubular cell might be one of the earliest processes in the formation of kidney stones. Pretreatment with glycosaminoglycans significantly reduced the adherent crystals. Injuries to the Madin-Darby cells induced by 0.1 M HCl and gentamicin resulted in significant decreases of COM crystal adhesion to the cell surface. It was suggested that urinary glycosaminoglycans might play some critical role in preventing crystal adhesion to these cellular membranes and that cell injuries might not be essential for the attachment of microcrystals to the tubular cells.