Inhibitory Effect of Hydroxycitrate on Calcium Oxalate Crystal Formation in a Drosophila Model

In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of hydroxycitrate (HCA) and potassium citrate (PC) on the prevention and treatment of calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones in a fruit fly model. Drosophila melanogaster was used as an insect model of lithogenesis. The lithogenic agent used was 0.25% ethylene glycol. For determining the preventive effects, 2% PC and 2% HCA were added along with the lithogenic agent at the start of experiment. For determining the treatment effects, the lithogenic agent was added at the start of experiment to induce crystal formation, and 2% PC and 2% HCA were added from the third week. After 3 weeks, the Malpighian tubules of Drosophila were observed under polarized light microscopy, and the results were calculated. The preventive effect on the formation of CaOx in PC group was 9.38 ± 4.42% and in HCA group was 4.51 ± 3.85%. The treatment effect of PC was 56.90 ± 20.43% and that of HCA was 39.09 ± 15.36%. HCA has both preventive and treatment effects on the formation of CaOx crystals in the Malpighian tubules of Drosophila, and the effects were better than those of PC.