Skip to main content
Log in

The impact of dietary oxalate on kidney stone formation

Urological Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The role of dietary oxalate in calcium oxalate kidney stone formation remains unclear. However, due to the risk for stone disease that is associated with a low calcium intake, dietary oxalate is believed to be an important contributing factor. In this review, we have examined the available evidence related to the ingestion of dietary oxalate, its intestinal absorption, and its handling by the kidney. The only difference identified to date between normal individuals and those who form stones is in the intestinal absorption of oxalate. Differences in dietary oxalate intake and in renal oxalate excretion are two other parameters that are likely to receive close scrutiny in the near future, because the research tools required for these investigations are now available. Such research, together with more extensive examinations of intestinal oxalate absorption, should help clarify the role of dietary oxalate in stone formation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  1. Zarembski PM, Hodgkinson A (1969) Some factors influencing the urinary excretion of oxalic acid in man. Clinica Chimica Acta 25: 1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Holmes RP, Goodman HO, Assimos DG (2001) Contribution of dietary oxalate to urinary oxalate excretion. Kidney Int 59: 270

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Holmes RP, Kennedy M (2000) Estimation of the oxalate content of foods and daily oxalate intake. Kidney Int 57: 1662

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Siener R, Ebert D, Nicolav C, Hesse A (2003) Dietary risk factors for hyperoxaluria in calcium oxalate stone formers. Kidney Int 63: 1037

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Honow R, Hesse A (2002) Comparison of extraction methods for the determination of soluble and total oxalate in foods by HPLC-enzyme-reactor. Food Chem 78: 511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Curhan GC, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ (1993) A prospective study of dietary calcium and other nutrients and the risk of symptomatic kidney stones. N Engl J Med 328: 833

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Holmes RP, Goodman HO, Assimos DG (1995) Dietary oxalate and its intestinal absorption. Scanning Microsc 9: 1109

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Hesse A, Schneeberger W, Engfeld S, Unruh GEV, Sauerbruch T (1999) Intestinal hyperabsorption of oxalate in calcium oxalate stone formers: application of a new test with [13C2]oxalate. J Am Soc Nephrol 10 [Suppl 14]: S329

  9. Hatch M, Freel RW, Vaziri ND (1999) Regulatory aspects of oxalate secretion in enteric oxalate elimination. J Am Soc Nephrol 10 [Suppl 14]: S324

  10. Krishnamurthy M, Hruska KA, Chandhoke PS (2003) The urinary response to an oral oxalate load in recurrent calcium stone formers. J Urol 169: 2030

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Prenen JAC, Boer P, Mees EJD (1984) Absorption kinetics of oxalate from oxalate-rich food in man. Am J Clin Nutr 40: 1007

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hess B, Jost C, Zipperle L, Takkinen R, Jaeger P (1998) High-calcium intake abolishes hyperoxaluria and reduces urinary crystallization during a 20-fold normal oxalate load in humans. Nephrol Dial Transplant 13: 2241

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Liebman M, Chai W (1997) Effect of dietary calcium on urinary oxalate excretion after oxalate loads. Am J Clin Nutr 65: 1453

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Sidhu H, Schmidt ME, CorneliusT JG, Thamiselvam S, Khan SR, Hesse A, Peck AB (1999) Direct correlation between hyperoxaluria/oxalate stone disease and the absence of the gastrointestinal tract dwelling bacterium Oxalobacter formigenes: possible prevention by gut recolonization or enzyme replacement therapy. J Am Soc Nephrol 10: S334

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Mikami K, Akakura K, Takei K, Ueda T, Mizoguchi K, Noda M, Miyake M, Ito H (2003) Association of absence of intestinal oxalate degrading bacteria with urinary calcium oxalate stone formation. Int J Urol 10: 293

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Troxel SA, Sidhu H, Kaul P, Low RK (2003) Intestinal Oxalobacter formigenes colonization in calcium oxalate stone formers and its relation to urinary oxalate. J Endourol 17: 173

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Unruh GE von, Voss S, Sauerbruch T, Hesse A (2003) Reference range for gastrointestinal oxalate absorption measured with a standardized [13C2] oxalate absorption test. J Urol 169: 687

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Holmes RP, Assimos DG, Goodman HO (1998) Genetic and dietary influences on urinary oxalate excretion. Urol Res 26: 195

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Mount DB, Romero MF (2004) The SLC26 gene family of multifunctional anion exchangers. Pflugers Arch-Eur J Physiol 447: 710

  20. Hodgkinson A, Wilkinson R (1974) Plasma oxalate concentration and renal excretion of oxalate in man. Clin Sci Mol Med 46: 61

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Prenen JAC, Boer P, Mees EJD, Endeman HJ, Spoor SM, Oei HY (1982) Renal clearance of [14C]oxalate:comparison of constant-infusion with single-injection techniques. Clin Sci 63: 47

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Greger R, Lang F, Oberleithner H, Deetjen P (1978) Handling of oxalate by the rat kidney. Pflugers Arch 374: 243

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Schwille PO, Manoharan M, Rumenapf G, Wolfel G, Berens H (1989) Oxalate measurement in the picomol range by ion chromatography: values in fasting plasma and urine of controls and patients with idiopathic calcium urolithiasis. J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 27: 87

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Cattell WR, Spencer AG, Taylor GW, Watts RWE (1962) The mechanism of the renal excretion of oxalate in the dog. Clin Sci 22: 43

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Williams HE, Johnson GA, Smith LH (1971) The renal clearance of oxalate in normal subjects and patients with primary hyperoxaluria. Clin Sci 41: 213

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Weinman EJ, Frankfurt SJ, Ince A, Sansom S (1978) Renal tubular transport of organic acids. Studies with oxalate and para-aminohippurate in the rat. J Clin Invest 61: 801

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Tremaine LM, Bird JE, Quebbemann AJ (1985) Renal tubular excretory transport of oxalate. J Pharmacol Exp Therap 233: 7

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Knight TF, Sansom SC, Senekjian HO, Weinman EJ (1981) Oxalate secretion in the rat proximal tubule. AmeJ Physiol 240: F295

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Markovich D, Bissig M, Sorribas V, Hagenbuch B, Meier PJ, Murer H (1994) Expression of rat renal sulfate transport systems in Xenopus laevis oocytes. J Biol Chem 269: 3022

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Karniski LP, Lotscher M, Fucentese M, Hilfiker H, Biber J, Murer H (1998) Immunolocalization of sat-1 sulfate/oxalate/bicarbonate anion exchanger in the rat kidney. Am J Physiol 275: F79

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Jiang Z, Grichtchenko II, Boron WF, Aronson PS (2002) Specificity of anion exchange mediated by mouse slc26a6. J Biol Chem 277: 33963

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Xie Q, Welch R, Mercado A, Romero MF, Mount DM (2002) Molecular characterization of the murine Slc26a6 anion exchanger: functional comparison with Slc26a1. Am J Physiol 283: F826

    Google Scholar 

  33. Lohi H, Kujala M, Makela S, Lehtonen E, Kestila M, Saarialho-Kere U, Markovich D, Kere J (2002) Functional characterization of three novel tissue-specific anion exchangers SLC26A7, -A8, and -A9. J Biol Chem 277: 14246

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Knauf F, Yang C-L, Thomson RB, Mentone AA, Giebisch G, Aronson PS (2001) Identification of a chloride-formate exchanger expressed on the brush border membrane of renal proximal tubule cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98: 9425

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Lohi H, Lamprecht G, Markovich D, Heil A, Kujala M, Seidler U, Kere J (2003) Isoforms of SLC26A6 mediate anion transport and have functional PDZ interaction domains. Am J Physiol 284: C769

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Selvam R (2002) Calcium oxalate stone disease: role of lipid peroxidation and antioxidants. Urol Res 30: 35

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Jonassen JA, Cao LC, Honeyman T, Scheid CR (2003) Mechanisms mediating oxalate-induced alterations in renal cell functions. Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr 13: 55

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Fan J, Chandhkoe PS (1999) Examination of crystalluria in freshly voided urines of recurrent calcium stone formers and normal individuals using a new filter technique. J Urol 161: 1685

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Koul S, Chaturvedi LS, Sekhon A, Bhandari A, Menon M, Koul HK (2002) Effects of oxalate on the re-initiation of DNA synthesis in LLC-PK1 cells do not involve p42/44 MAP kinase activation. Kidney Int 61: 525

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Borghi L, Schianchi T, Meschi T, Guerra A, Allegri F, Maggiore U, Novarini A (2002) Comparison of two diets for the prevention of recurrent stones in idiopathic hypercalciuria. N Engl J Med 346: 77

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Albihn PBE, Savage GP (2001) The bioavailability of oxalate from oca (Oxalis tuberosa). J Urol 166: 420

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Massey LK, Grentz LM, Horner HT, Palmer RG (2002) Soybean and soyfood consumption increase oxalate excretion. Top Clin Nutr 17: 49

    Google Scholar 

  43. Brinkley L, McGuire J, Gregory J, Pak CY (1981) Bioavailability of oxalate in foods. Urology 17: 534

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Brogren M, Savage GP (2003) Bioavailability of soluble oxalate from spinach eaten with and without milk products. Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr 12: 219

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Savage GP, Charrier MJS, Vanhanen L (2003) Bioavailability of soluble oxalate from tea and the effect of consuming milk with the tea. Eur J Clin Nutr 57: 415

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Barilla DE, Notz C, Kennedy D, Pak CYC (1978) Renal oxalate excretion following oral oxalate loads in patients with ileal disease and with renal and absorptive hypercalciurias. Effect of calcium and magnesium. Am J Med 64: 579

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

Our recent research covered in this review was supported by NIH grants RO1-DK62284 and MO1-RR07122.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Holmes, R.P., Assimos, D.G. The impact of dietary oxalate on kidney stone formation. Urol Res 32, 311–316 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00240-004-0437-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00240-004-0437-3

Keywords

Navigation