Korean J Urol.  2001 Mar;42(3):273-278.

Effect of Male Sex Hormones on Calcium Oxalate Nephrolithiasis in Ethylene Glycol-Treated Rats

• Moon YT
• Yoon SH
• Kim MK

Abstract

PURPOSE: Sexual differences in the incidence and crystalline composition of urinary stones in humans are well-known, but it is unclear why men have a higher incidence of calcium oxalate stones than women. We investigated the effects of male sex hormones on stone formation using an ethylene glycol (EG) - induced urolithiasis model in rats.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, each containing 10 rats. One group of rats was left untreated and served as control. The other 3 groups were fed a 1% ethylene glycol (EG) lithogenic diet for 4 weeks. Among these, one group was non-castrated, one group was castrated and one group was non-castrated and given finasteride orally. Serum testosterone, creatinine, electrolytes, 24-hour urine levels of oxalate and citrate, and creatinine clearance were measured. The crystal deposits were examined by light and polarizing microscopes.
RESULTS
Testosterone promoted calcium oxalate stone formation in EG - treated rats. Finasteride administration significantly decreased urinary oxalate excretion and calcium oxalate deposition, compared with controls. Urinary citrate was significantly decreased in EG-treated rats, but was not influenced by castration or administration of finasteride. There were no significant differences in serum concentrations of creatinine, sodium, or potassium among the control and experimental groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that testosterone promotes calcium oxalate stone formation, and that dihydrotestosterone may be partially responsible for the exaggerated hyperoxaluria in EG-treated rats. Additionally, male sex hormones have a lesser influence on urinary citrate than oxalate.

Keyword

Sex hormones; Calcium oxalate stone; Ethylene glycol

MeSH Terms

Adult
Animals
Calcium Oxalate*
Calcium*
Castration
Citric Acid
Creatinine
Crystallins
Diet
Dihydrotestosterone
Electrolytes
Ethylene Glycol
Female
Finasteride
Gonadal Steroid Hormones*
Humans
Hyperoxaluria
Incidence
Male*
Nephrolithiasis*
Potassium
Rats*
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Sodium
Testosterone
Urinary Calculi
Urolithiasis
Calcium
Calcium Oxalate
Citric Acid
Creatinine
Crystallins
Dihydrotestosterone
Electrolytes
Ethylene Glycol
Finasteride
Gonadal Steroid Hormones
Potassium
Sodium
Testosterone