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The major risk factor for kidney stone disease is idiopathic hypercalciuria. Recent evidence implicates a role for defective calcium reabsorption in the renal proximal tubule. We hypothesized that claudin-2, a paracellular cation channel protein, mediates proximal tubule calcium reabsorption. We found that claudin-2-null mice have hypercalciuria due to a primary defect in renal tubule calcium transport and papillary nephrocalcinosis that resembles the intratubular plugs in kidney stone formers. Our findings suggest that a proximal tubule defect in calcium reabsorption predisposes to papillary calcification, providing support for the vas washdown hypothesis. Claudin-2-null mice were also found to have increased net intestinal calcium absorption, but reduced paracellular calcium permeability in the colon, suggesting that this was due to reduced intestinal calcium secretion. Common genetic variants in the claudin-2 gene were associated with decreased tissue expression of claudin-2 and increased risk of kidney stones in 2 large population-based studies. Finally, we describe a family in which males with a rare missense variant in claudin-2 have marked hypercalciuria and kidney stone disease. Our findings indicate that claudin-2 is a key regulator of calcium excretion and a potential target for therapies to prevent kidney stones., Introduction Kidney stone disease is common, with a lifetime risk in the United States of about 19% in men and 9% in women (1). Studies of families (2), twin concordance [...]

Mammalian urine contains a range of macromolecule proteins that play critical roles in renal stone formation, among which Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is by far the most abundant. While THP is a potent inhibitor of crystal aggregation in vitro and its ablation in vivo predisposes one of the two existing mouse models to spontaneous intrarenal calcium crystallization, key controversies remain regarding the role of THP in nephrolithiasis. By carrying out a long-range follow-up of more than 250 THP-null mice and their wild-type controls, we demonstrate here that renal calcification is a highly consistent phenotype of the THP-null mice that is age and partially gene dosage dependent, but is gender and genetic background independent. Renal calcification in THP-null mice is progressive, and by 15 mo over 85% of all the THP-null mice develop spontaneous intrarenal crystals. The crystals consist primarily of calcium phosphate in the form of hydroxyapatite, are located more frequently in the interstitial space of the renal papillae than intratubularly, particularly in older animals, and lack accompanying inflammatory cell infiltration. The interstitial deposits of hydroxyapatite observed in THP-null mice bear strong resemblances to the renal crystals found in human kidneys bearing idiopathic calcium oxalate stones. Compared with 24-h urine from the wild-type mice, that of THP-null mice is supersaturated with brushite (calcium phosphate), a stone precursor, and has reduced urinary excretion of citrate, a stone inhibitor. While less frequent than renal calcinosis, renal pelvic and ureteral stones and hydronephrosis occur in the aged THP-null mice. These results provide direct in vivo evidence indicating that normal THP plays an important role in defending the urinary system against calcification and suggest that reduced expression and/or decreased function of THP could contribute to nephrolithiasis. knockout mice; nephrolithiasis; interstitial calcification; supersaturation; urolithiasis doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00243.2010.

Many aspects of the glomerular filtration of macromolecules remain controversial, including the location of the major filtration barrier, the effects of electrical charge, and the reason the filtration barrier does not clog. We examined these issues in anesthetized Necturus maculosus, using fluorescently labeled probes and a two-photon microscope. With the high resolution of this system and the extraordinary width (~3.5 [micro]m) of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) in this salamander, we were able to visualize fluorescent molecules in the GBM in vivo. GBM/plasma concentration ratios for myoglobin, ovalbumin, and serum albumin did not differ from that of inulin, indicating that the GBM does not discriminate among these molecules. The GBM/ plasma concentration ratios for fluoresceinated dextran 500 and 2,000 kDa were significantly below that of inulin. Glomerular sieving coefficients (GSCs) for various macromolecules decreased as molecular mass increased, and the GSCs for bovine or human serum albumin were extremely low. The effect of electrical charge on filterability of a macromolecule was also examined. The GSCs for native (anionic) and neutral human serum albumin were not significantly different, nor did GSCs for anionic and neutral dextran 40 kDa differ, indicating that charge has no detectable effect on filterability of these macromolecules. These studies indicate that the main filtration barrier to albumin is the podocyte slit diaphragm. Electron microscopic studies revealed many cell processes within the GBM. Macromolecules that penetrated the GBM were taken up by mesangial cells and endothelial cells, suggesting that these cells help to prevent clogging of the filter. amphibian kidney; glomerular filtration barrier; two-photon microscopy

A main mechanism of idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH) in calcium stone-forming patients (IHSF) is postprandial reduction of renal tubule calcium reabsorption that cannot be explained by selective reduction of serum parathyroid hormone levels; the nephron site(s) responsible are not as yet defined. Using fourteen 1-h measurements of the clearances of sodium, calcium, and endogenous lithium during a three-meal day in the University of Chicago General Clinical Research Center, we found reduced postprandial proximal tubule reabsorption of sodium and calcium in IHSF vs. normal subjects. The increased distal sodium delivery is matched by increased distal reabsorption so that urine sodium excretions do not differ, but distal calcium reabsorption does not increase enough to match increased calcium delivery, so hypercalciuria results. In fact, urine calcium excretion and overall renal fractional calcium reabsorption both are high in IHSF vs. normal when adjusted for distal calcium delivery, strongly suggesting a distal as well as proximal reduction of calcium reabsorption. The combination of reduced proximal tubule and distal nephron calcium reabsorption in IHSF is a new finding and indicates that IH involves a complex, presumably genetic, variation of nephron function. The increased calcium delivery into the later nephron may play a role in stone formation via deposition of papillary interstitial apatite plaque. nephrolithiasis; tubule reabsorption; lithium clearance; hypercalciuria; proximal tubule

Although often supersaturated with mineral salts such as calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate, normal urine possesses an innate ability to keep them from forming harmful crystals. This inhibitory activity has been attributed to the presence of urinary macromolecules, although controversies abound regarding their role, or lack thereof, in preventing renal mineralization. Here, we show that 10% of the mice lacking osteopontin (OPN) and 14.3% of the mice lacking Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) spontaneously form interstitial deposits of calcium phosphate within the renal papillae, events never seen in wild-type mice. Lack of both proteins causes renal crystallization in 39.3% of the double-null mice. Urinalysis revealed elevated concentrations of urine phosphorus and brushite (calcium phosphate) supersaturation in THP-null and OPN/ THP-double null mice, suggesting that impaired phosphorus handling may be linked to interstitial papillary calcinosis in THP- but not in OPN-null mice. In contrast, experimentally induced hyperoxaluria provokes widespread intratubular calcium oxalate crystallization and stone formation in OPN/THP-double null mice, while completely sparing the wild-type controls. Whole urine from OPN-, THP-, or double-null mice all possessed a dramatically reduced ability to inhibit the adhesion of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals to renal epithelial cells. These data establish OPN and THP as powerful and functionally synergistic inhibitors of calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate crystallization in vivo and suggest that defects in either molecule may contribute to renal calcinosis and stone formation, an exceedingly common condition that afflicts up to 12% males and 5% females. kidney stone; urolithiasis; uromodulin

Idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH) is common among calcium stone formers (IHSF). The increased urinary calcium arises from increased intestinal absorption of calcium, but it is unclear whether increased filtered load or decreased renal tubular reabsorption of calcium is the main mechanism for the increased renal excretion. To explore this question, 10 IHSF and 7 normal subjects (N) were studied for 1 day. Urine and blood samples were collected at 30- to 60-min intervals while subjects were fasting and after they ate three meals providing known amounts of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, protein, and calories. Fasting and fed, ultrafiltrable calcium levels, and filtered load of calcium did not differ between N and IHSF. Urine calcium rose with meals, and fractional reabsorption fell in all subjects, but the change was significantly higher in IHSF. The changes in calcium excretion were independent of sodium excretion. Serum parathyroid hormone levels did not differ between N and IHSF, and they could not account for the greater fall in calcium reabsorption in IHSF. Serum magnesium and phosphorus levels in IHSF were below N throughout the day, and tubule phosphate reabsorption was lower in IHSF than N after meals. The primary mechanism by which kidneys ferry absorbed calcium into the urine after meals is via reduced tubule calcium reabsorption, and 1HSF differ from N in the magnitude of the response. Parathyroid hormone is not likely to be a sufficient explanation for this difference. idiopathic hypercalciuria; urine calcium excretion; parathyroid hormone