Background and purpose: Urinary oxalate excretion is a risk factor for nephrolithiasis and is a result of endogenous metabolism and gastrointestinal processes. Gastrointestinal absorption of oxalate has been well demonstrated but to our knowledge evidence for secretion of oxalate is absent in humans. The objective of this study was to measure the amount and conformation of oxalate in the stomach and small intestine of adult subjects undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Materials and methods: Eleven adults participated in this study. Gastrointestinal fluid was collected from the stomach and small intestine during endoscopy. A determination of the soluble and insoluble components of oxalate was made by centrifugation of the sample and subsequent acidification of the resultant pellet and supernatant. Samples were processed and the amount of oxalate was measured by ion chromatography, the limit of which is 1.6 μM.
Results: The majority of small intestinal samples contained some degree of oxalate. This is in contrast to the stomach where minimal oxalate was detected. There was a wide range of oxalate concentrations and a greater degree of insoluble oxalate in small intestinal samples.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that some degree of oxalate secretion in the small intestine may occur in the fasted state while this is less likely in the stomach. Further studies are warranted to provide definitive evidence of gastrointestinal secretion of oxalate.