Etiology of sialolithiasis associated with a novel anion exchanger activity

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17032
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57020:Oral pathobiological science-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu Dental College
• Principal Investigator: Mukaibo Taro 九州歯科大学, 歯学部, 助教 (50635117)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 唾石症 / シュウ酸カルシウム / Oxalate

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we investigated the causal relationship between the function of SLC26A6 expressed in salivary glands and salivary stone formation in mice orally administered sodium oxalate. 12-week-old FVB/Nj mice were divided into two groups, one group was orally administered sodium oxalate for 2 weeks and the other group was orally administered the same amount of saline (control group). The deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in the tissues of the two groups of 12-week-old FVB/Nj mice was examined. Pizzolato staining of kidney, submandibular and sublingual gland tissues revealed calcium oxalate crystal deposition in all tissues only in the oral sodium oxalate group. In the sublingual gland, the large crystals were localized and unevenly distributed in some of the glandular cells, suggesting that Slc26a6 may be involved in the formation of sublingual gland tissue salivary calculus.

Free Research Field

補綴系歯学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの研究によりSLC26A6が生体内でシュウ酸の代謝に関わっており，SLC26A6の機能不全によりシュウ酸カルシウムが腎臓組織に沈着し，尿路結石の原因となる可能性が指摘されてきた．しかし，一方で同じくSLC26A6が高発現する唾液腺組織においてはその機能が不明であった．申請者は唾石症の原因がSLC26A6の機能と関連しているのではないかと仮説を立て，研究を行った．その結果，シュウ酸ナトリウムの過剰摂取が唾液腺組織中のシュウ酸カルシウム沈着に関わっている可能性が示唆されたことから，本研究成果によりこれまで不明であった唾石症発症のメカニズムの一端を示すことができた．