Calcium nephrolithiasis is the most common form of renal stone disease, with calcium
oxalate (CaOx) being the predominant constituent of renal stones. Current in vitro evidence
implicates osteopontin (OPN) as one of several macromolecular inhibitors of urinary
crystallization with potentially important actions at several stages of CaOx crystal formation
and retention. To determine the importance of OPN in vivo, hyperoxaluria was induced in
mice targeted for the deletion of the OPN gene together with wild-type control mice. Both …