Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Apr;38(2):117-25.
doi: 10.1007/s00240-010-0254-9. Epub 2010 Feb 24.

The mechanism of renal stone formation and renal failure induced by administration of melamine and cyanuric acid

Takahiro Kobayashi  1 , Atsushi Okada, Yasuhiro Fujii, Kazuhiro Niimi, Shuzo Hamamoto, Takahiro Yasui, Keiichi Tozawa, Kenjiro Kohri
Affiliations

The mechanism of renal stone formation and renal failure induced by administration of melamine and cyanuric acid

Takahiro Kobayashi et al. Urol Res. 2010 Apr.

Abstract

Renal stone formation and renal failure among Chinese infants administered melamine-containing formula were increasingly reported in 2008. We investigated the mechanism by which melamine and cyanuric acid induce renal stone formation and renal failure. Ten-week-old rats were administered either melamine [2.4, 24, or 240 mg/kg/day], both melamine and cyanuric acid [each at 1.2, 12, or 120 mg/kg/day], or water (controls). Blood and 24-h urine samples and kidney sections were evaluated on days 3, 7, and 14. In rats administered melamine alone or the low-dose melamine/cyanuric acid combination [1.2 mg/kg/day], crystals were not detected. On day 3, crystal formation was observed in the renal distal tubular lumens and collecting ducts of rats administered the intermediate-dose melamine/cyanuric acid [12 mg/kg/day], and the number of crystals increased during the course of the experiment. In rats administered the high-dose melamine/cyanuric acid [120 mg/kg/day], crystals were found in the proximal tubular lumens of the renal cortex on day 3, but acute renal failure resulted in death by day 7. Polarized light optical microphotography and scanning electron microscopy revealed tubular lumens occluded by a layer of axle-shaped crystals. X-ray diffraction findings revealed a nitrogen component but no calcium. The upper regions of occluded tubes were expanded, and the epithelium was thin. Melamine and cyanuric acid in combination, but not by melamine alone induce crystal formation and affected renal functioning. Renal failure due to melamine cyanurate crystals appears to occur via tubular occlusion.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Melamine nephropathy.
    Wiwanitkit V. Wiwanitkit V. Urol Res. 2010 Oct;38(5):411. doi: 10.1007/s00240-010-0269-2. Epub 2010 Mar 31. Urol Res. 2010. PMID: 20354689 No abstract available.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Toxicol Sci. 2008 Nov;106(1):251-62 - PubMed
    1. Environ Health Perspect. 1986 Nov;69:287-92 - PubMed
    1. Carcinogenesis. 1992 Jun;13(6):1043-5 - PubMed
    1. Vet Pathol. 2008 May;45(3):417-26 - PubMed
    1. N Engl J Med. 2009 Mar 12;360(11):1067-74 - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources