When Diet 13 B, containing oxalic acid in a ratio of 2%, was orally administered to dd-strain male mice for 50 days, progress of oxalate stone development in the kidneys of these mice was traced by means of scanning electron microscope. The following results were obtained.
1. In the lumen of the proximal tubules, not only deposit of non-crystalline and irregular structures mainly composed of degenerated epithelial cells but granular or globular structures of various sizes could be recognized. Some pictures indicated that a portion of these structures was being taken into the tissue through the spaces between the microvilli of the brush border. In those pictures, the brush border was generally disarranged and partially destructed or fallen. In addition, the cytoplasm of these tubular epithelial cells became thinner and flat, and it was characterized by vesicles, increased vacuoles, distinct nucleus and evident mitochondria. At this experimental stage, deposit of irregular octahedral crystals was already found out on the luminal surface of the proximal tubules. The pictures to suggest the developmental process from non-crystalline structure to crystalline one with various sizes proved that crystal deposition resulted in fall of the brush border, destruction of epithelial cell structure, and cellular flattening.
2. The experimental results observed in the thinner portion of Henle's loop could be summarized as follows; non-crystalline multiform structural material of which central portion had already crystallized first appeared, and its central crystallized portion then cumulatively grew up in a fashion of lamellae or wavelets, some of the crystals being columnar, needle-like or polygonal plates. On the free surface of the epithelial cells, there were of course microvilli and single cilium. The nuclei of these cells became flat. In the cytoplasmic matrix, vacuoles were evidently observed.
3. Artificial deposit observed in the lumen of the distal tubules was composed of crystals which were radial, petal-like or partially needle-like in shape. The original crystals gradually and radially developed to petal-, rod- or needle-like crystals which could occupy the whole tubular lumen. Actual morphological progress could be characterized by central formation of fine granular crystals and peripheral annual-ring-like layer formation. Sometimes the picture indicated that oxalate deposition took place following deep invasion of needle- or rod-like crystals into the cytoplasmic matrix of the epithelial cells. In these micrographs too, cytoplasmic destruction resulting from crystal deposition, cellular flattening or vacuolation was markedly recognized.
It was concluded from the experimental results that oxalate stones usually appeared in the lumen of the proximal tubules, and the matrix of these stones was mainly constituted by fallen degenerated epithelial cells. In addition, the stones which were probably protein in nature were granular or globular in shape. These intratubular structures, observed in the experiments, were characterized by complete crystallization. During the course of tubular crystal development, the structures formed first in the proximal tubules became multiform crystals especially within the thinner portion of Henle's loop and also became complete calculous crystals within the lumen of the distal tubules. The lumen was gradually occupied by the experimental stone with increasing size. In parallel with the increase in stone size, it was possible to cause not only destruction of the epithelial cytoplasmic pattern but partial invasion of the formed stone into the cytoplasm of the tubular epithelial cells.
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