Urolithiasis occurs in 20% of males and 5--10% of females, and 75% of kidney stones contain calcium oxalate (CO) mineral. To analyze mineral-binding proteins and to make gender comparisons, using the model of Doyle et al. (Clin Chem, 37: 1589--1594, 1991), CO crystals were generated in whole and centrifuged urine samples and then washed with water or sodium hydroxide. Crystals and mineral-binding proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE, Western blotting and electron microscopy (SEM). Regardless of urine or crystal treatment, osteopontin and UPTF1 proteins were consistently present in the samples, whereas THP and albumin were partially removed. SEM showed larger crystals precipitated from female than from male urine. Western blotting demonstrated more albumin bound to crystals from females. In other experiments, CO crystals were grown in the presence of poly-L-aspartic acid (PA) and albumin. SEM demonstrated that these proteins affected CO crystallization. Competitive protein-binding assays and fluorescence activated cell sorter analysis after binding of PA and albumin to hydroxyapatite indicated that PA binds hydroxyapatite with a stronger affinity than albumin.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.33815 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Nguyen, Quynh Dung Sarah. |
| Contributors | McKee, Marc D. (advisor), Arsenault, D. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Faculty of Dentistry.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001862640, proquestno: MQ78932, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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