Causes of kidney stones: basic theories

Urolithiasis - takes the "honorable" third place in urological pathology. It occurs in people of all ages, sparing neither children nor the elderly. Over the past decade, this disease has become very common to register, in this regard, doctors are sounding the alarm. The main explanation for the increase in morbidity is the growth of negative environmental factors, changes in diet, congenital anomalies of the renal apparatus, metabolic disorders and imbalance of hormones.

It is known that the right kidney is affected more often than the left kidney, and also that the stronger sex suffers more often in this case than the weak one. However, in the female population the disease proceeds more severely and more often leads to such complications as pyelonephritis, chronic renal failure, pionephrosis.

The disease has been known to doctors since ancient times, but they became interested in the mechanism of formation of stones only in the century before last. So far, doctors do not have a single view on the causes of kidney stones. At the moment there are several theories that shed light on the mechanisms of formation of urolithiasis, but none answers the question: "Why do stones form in the kidneys?", So now these hypotheses are considered only as links in one chain that complement each other.

Theories of the formation of kidney stones

It should be noted that in a healthy kidney stones are not formed. All causes of kidney stones can be conditionally divided into permanent and temporary. Some factors have a negative impact for only a short time, but this is enough to trigger the mechanism of urolithiasis, and other negative effects remain for life, and thus support the pathological process.

Theory of nanobacteria

At the end of the last century, a very small round-shaped bacterium was discovered that is capable of forming calcium phosphate crystals. Nanobacterium was so named for its microscopic dimensions - it can only be considered in an electron microscope. The most popular place of localization of this bacterium is the collecting tubules and renal papillae. The bacterium has a strong shell of carbonate apatite, which makes it virtually invulnerable.

In experiments on animals it was proved that when this bacterium is introduced into the body in the kidneys, the process of stone formation( urolithiasis) begins. Moreover, in addition to love of the kidneys, the bacterium is seen in the ability to stick and penetrate deep into the cells of the renal apparatus, causing considerable damage there and triggering the mechanism of formation of stones.

Inflammatory or infectious theory( theory of catarrh of the pelvis)

According to this version, urolithiasis is promoted by infectious agents, in particular proteium, which secretes inhibitory enzymes and thus affects urea activity. Violation of the cycle of urea formation leads to hyperammonemia, a decrease in the solubility of crystalloids in the blood and alkalization of urine, and, hence, the processes of stone formation, especially from calcium phosphate, are intensified. As a result, urine becomes supersaturated with salts and crystals.

The essence of the theory boils down to the fact that urine is a complex solution in which there are both crystalline substances and colloidal substances. Infection, penetrating into the renal tissue and causing inflammation there, leads to the fact that the desquamated epithelium of the renal glomerulus becomes the framework for the future stone, and the changed urine pH promotes the fouling of this primary substrate by mineral salts dissolved in the urine.

The theory of colloidal stone formation

The authors of this theory took for granted that urine is a complex solution with crystalline substances dissolved in it, as well as fine-dispersed proteins - colloids. Proteins, when interacting actively with crystals, do not settle in the form of a dense sediment, but are suspended in the urine of a healthy person.

When the balance of colloids and crystalloids in the urine is disturbed, the protein fractions settle and the kidney stones form. In addition, in the presence of processes of inflammation in the kidney tissue, the tubular epithelium actively mites, which also affects the protein composition of urine and stimulates stone formation. And, as is known from the theory of the catarrh of the renal pelvis, the infectious agent that caused the processes of desquamation of the epithelium, also initiates the process of enhanced urinary crystallization. As a result, ideal conditions for the processes of urolithiasis are formed. This theory is actively supported by many nephrologists.

Theory of Colloidal Defense

However, not all researchers support the theory of colloid protection due to the fact that there is no clear explanation of the protective properties of protein fractions of urine. Why does not colloidal( proteinaceous) fractions occur in the supersaturated urine of a healthy person? Some scientists have come to the conclusion that in this process an important role is played by calcium antagonists - magnesium ions.

By the way, magnesium-containing preparations are used for therapeutic purposes with urolithiasis.

Thus, the researchers concluded that there are pathological and protective colloids in the urine, and on their ratio and will depend - whether the process of stone formation will start. This, in turn, is regulated by complex relationships in the autonomic nervous system.

Kinetic theory of precipitation

Precipitation is a chemical reaction with the addition of reagents, which precipitates solid sediment and liquid.

The body has a clear daily and annual rhythm of activity of mineral metabolism. Thus, it has been established that over the course of a day the concentration in urine of calcium, inorganic phosphorus and uric acid changes several times. There was also a fluctuation in the concentration of calcium and oxalate in the urine in the fall and spring. The more phosphates, oxalates, uric acid and calcium ions in the urine, the more active is the process of stone formation. These processes are strengthened with the presence of concomitant factors - contamination of the proteus, disturbances in the outflow of urine, changes in the balance of colloids and crystalloids in the urine, etc.

Theory of stress

A number of researchers have discovered the existence of psychological causes of kidney stones. It was proved that stress negatively affects the functioning of the neuroendocrine system and promotes the activation of stone formation processes. Also, as a result of stress, there is a spasm of blood vessels and an increase in the tone of the muscle fibers, which leads to disturbances in the outflow of urine. A prolonged vascular spasm leads to ischemia of the kidney tissues, down to the necrosis of individual cells and even parenchyma sites.

In addition, stress disrupts all the most important metabolic processes - the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which immediately affects the amount of protein fractions, insulin( it affects the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the blood and urine).Under the influence of stress, intraocular disorders of hemodynamics occur and blood coagulability increases, as a result of which the altered blood( with an increased level of urea, lactic and pyruvic acid) flowing through the kidneys, stimulates the processes of urolithiasis.

In general, theories proving why the stones in the kidneys are taken are at the moment a huge number. But, as can be seen from the above, none of them can explain the mechanism of stone formation from the beginning to the end and answer the question of why the stones in the kidneys are formed in some people, but in others, under equal conditions, no. Therefore, researchers are still in search of a solution to this problem, and therefore, we can hope that soon there will be new drugs that will impede the process of stone formation.