Comparison of metabolic changes for stone risks in 24-hour urine between non- and postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: To explore the differences of 24-hour urine compositions associated with urolithiasis between non- and postmenopausal females. METHODS: The 24-hour urine samples of female participants were collected from May 2013 to July 2014 along with national cross-sectional study of urolithiasis among adults aged ≥18 years in China. The exclusion criteria for the participants were: serum creatinine > 133µmol/L, with urinary tract infection, gout, hyperthyroidism, malignancy, had a history of cancer, kidney stones, enterectomy, had taken thiazide diuretics, allopurinol, vitamin supplement, potassium citrate or calcium supplements during the past two weeks. The compositions associated with urinary stone in 24-hour urine were measured and compared between non-and postmenopausal women. RESULTS: A total of 603 24-hour urine samples of female participants were analyzed. 354 women with a mean age of 52.5± 14.03 (range 19-84) years met the criteria, including 160 non-menopausal women and 194 postmenopausal women. Compared to the non-menopausal women, postmenopausal women had a lower secretion of citrate (p = 0.043), magnesium (p = 0.001) and creatinine (p = 0.001) in 24h urine. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the menopause status was associated with the changes in magnesium (p = 0.003) and creatinine (p = 0.002) secretion, whereas not with the changes in citrate (p = 0.402) secretion. CONCLUSIONS: Postmenopausal women have a significant lower secretion of magnesium in their 24-hour urine than non-menopausal ones. We suppose that might be associated with increased risk of urinary stone formation among postmenopausal women.

Molluscicidal effect of Eomecon chionantha alkaloids against Oncomelania hupensis snails.

The molluscicidal effects of Eomecon chionantha alkaloids (ECA) against Oncomelania hupensis snails were determined by immersion method. The molluscicidal effect was positively related to ECA concentration, immersion time and temperature of the immersion solution. The mortality of the snails reached 100% by 72 hours in ECA at a concentration of 2.5 mg/l at 25 degrees C. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level of liver cells treated with ECA was higher than controls at 24 and 36 hours (57.7 and 60.3 U/l versus 39.2 and 49.2 U/1, respectively) but the level decreased at 48-72 hours after treatment. The decrease points to the toxic effect of ECA against liver cells. After ECA treatment, the liver cells were edematous with swollen or disintegrating nuclei; they were enlarged and had vacuolated rER; they had dilated and vesiculated mitochondria with broken crests further indicating a hepatotoxic effect of ECA in O. hupensis snails. ECA has a molluscicidal effect that may be of practical use in the field to control O. hupensis snails.