Urinary inhibitor of the formation of calcium oxalate.

Normal urine was examined for substances which inhibited the formation of calcium oxalate, using a separation scheme which involved ultrafiltration, alcohol precipitation, electrophoresis and paper chromatography. The major anionic inhibitors were found to be citric acid, isocitric acid and pyrophosphate. The inhibitory activity of urine and that of an artificial urine having the same concentration of urea, creatinine, sodium, potassiu, magnesium, calcium, ammonia, sulphate, chloride, inorganic phosphate, oxalate, citrate, isocitrate and pyrophosphate, and the same pH were identical. This confirmed that urine does not contain an unidentified potent substance which inhibits the formation of calcium oxalate.