Unraveling the Role of Gut microbiota by Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Studies in Kidney stone disease

This study investigates the effects of gut dysbiosis on urolithiasis through fecal microbiota transplantation from patients to rats and its impact on urinary mineral excretion and stone formation. Fecal samples from eight patients with calcium oxalate stones and ten healthy volunteers were collected to assess the gut microbiome. These samples were then transplanted into antibiotic-pretreated Wistar rats for a duration of four weeks. Post-transplantation, we evaluated changes in the fecal gut microbiome profile, urinary mineral excretion rates, and the expression levels of intestinal zonula occluden-1, SLC26A6, and renal NF-kB. In humans, patients with urolithiasis exhibited increased urinary calcium and oxalate levels, alongside decreased citrate excretion and a heightened urinary supersaturation index.