KIDNEY DISEASE/RENAL

CALCIUM
(1 microgram = 0.001 milligrams)

1. A low protein and low phosphate diet supplemented with calcium (600 mg/day) and vitamin D (0.5 micrograms/day) improved renal function and stopped parathyroid dysfunction in patients with chronic renal failure.

J Assoc Physicians India. 1999 Sep;47(9):86973.
Effect of protein and phosphate restricted and calcium and alphacalcidol supplemented diet on renal and parathyroid functions and protein status in chronic renal failure patients.
Nand N, Aggarwal HK, Anupam, Sharma M.

Animal Study

2. A daily dosage of calcium (intravenous 20 mg per kilogram body weight) for 14 days protected ponies from renal failure induced by aminoglycoside antibiotics.

Am J Vet Res. 1998 Aug;59(8):105562.
Effect of intravenous calcium administration on gentamic-ininduced nephrotoxicosis in ponies.
Brashier MK, Geor RJ, Ames TR, O'Leary TP.

MAGNESIUM

3. Daily doses of magnesium (500 mg) reduced incidence of renal stone formation without side effects in patients with recurrent renal stone disease.

J Am Coll Nutr. 1982;1(2):179-85. 
Effects of magnesium hydroxide in renal stone disease.
Johansson G, Backman U, Danielson BG, Fellstrom B, Ljunghall S, Wikstrom B.
PMID: 6764473

SELENIUM
(1 microgram = 0.001 milligrams)

4. Compared to placebo, treatment with selenium (535 micrograms for 9 days, then 285 micrograms for 3 days, then 155 micrograms for 3 days and then 35 micrograms daily) reduced incidence of renal failure and improved clinical condition of patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Crit Care Med. 1999 Sep;27(9):1807-13. 
Selenium replacement in patients with severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome improves clinical outcome.
Angstwurm MW, Schottdorf J, Schopohl J, Gaertner R.
PMID: 10507602

5. Supplementation with selenium (500 micrograms 3 times/week for 3 months then 200 micrograms 3 times/week for 3 months) improved immune response in chronic uraemic patients without side effects.

Nephrol Dial Transplant. 1995;10(9):1654-61. 
Effects of selenium supplementation on immune parameters in chronic uraemic patients on haemodialysis.
Bonomini M, Forster S, De Risio F, Rychly J, Nebe B, Manfrini V, Klinkmann H, Albertazzi A.
PMID: 8559485

VITAMIN B1/THIAMINE

6. Supplementation with a form of vitamin B1, benfotiamine (100 mg) improves erythrocyte transketolase activity more so than thiamine nitrate (100 mg) in patients with end stage renal disease.

Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2000 Jun;56(3):251-7. 
High thiamine diphosphate concentrations in erythrocytes can be achieved in dialysis patients by oral administration of benfontiamine.
Frank T, Bitsch R, Maiwald J, Stein G.

7. Supplementation with benfotiamin (100 mg) protects patients with end stage renal disease from adverse effects of uremia.

Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 1999 Sep;37(9):449-55. 
Alteration of thiamine pharmacokinetics by end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Frank T, Bitsch R, Maiwald J, Stein G.

VITAMIN B6/PYRIDOXINE

8. A daily dose of pyridoxine (8.2 mg) is necessary for patients undergoing hemodialysis while patients with chronic renal failure and peritoneal dialysis should receive 4.1 mg/day pyridoxine.

Kidney Int. 1981 May;19(5):694-704. 
Daily requirement for pyridoxine   supplements in chronic renal failure.
Kopple JD, Mercurio K, Blumenkrantz MJ, Jones MR, Tallos J, Roberts C, Card B, Saltzman R, Casciato DA, Swendseid ME.
PMID: 7289398

9. A dose of pyridoxine (10 mg) and magnesium oxide (200 mg) is necessary to prevent calcium oxalate in the kidney.

Z Urol Nephrol. 1977 Jun;70(6):419-27. 
[Animal-experiment studies on the effect of magnesium and vitamin B 6 on calcium-oxalate nephrolithiasis]
[Article in German]
Schneider HJ, Hesse A, Berg W, Kirsten J, Nickel H.
PMID: 906678

10. People taking a low daily dose of vitamin B6 (less than 3 mg) may have increased risk of developing kidney stones compared to those taking a higher daily dose (greater than 40 mg). Vitamin C did not prevent the formation of kidney stones.

J Am Soc Nephrol. 1999 Apr;10(4):840-5.
Intake of vitamins B6  and C and the risk of kidney stones in women.
Curhan GC, Willett WC, Speizer FE, Stampfer MJ.
PMID: 10203369

11. A daily dose of pyridoxine (10 mg for 180 days) reduced urinary oxalate and may reduce the formation of stones.

Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. 1982 Sep;20(9):434-7. 
Effect of pyridoxine   supplementation on recurrent stone formers.
Murthy MS, Farooqui S, Talwar HS, Thind SK, Nath R, Rajendran L, Bapna BC.
PMID: 7141762

VITAMIN C
(1 gram = 1000 milligrams)

12. In patients with chronic renal failure, vitamin C (500 mg after hemodialysis) helped protect against iron deficiency. Daily doses of folic acid (10 mg) increased erythropoietin synthesis.

Med Pregl. 2001 May-Jun;54(5-6):235-40
Erythropoietin-beta in the treatment of anemia in patients with chronic renal insufficiency]
[Article in Serbo-Croatian (Roman)
Dimkovic N.

13. Treatment with vitamin C (2 grams) improved flow-mediated, endothelium-dependent dilation and reduced lipoprotein oxidation in patients with renal allograft.

Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2001 Jun;16(6):1251-5
Vitamin C improves endothelial dysfunction in renal allograft recipients.
Williams MJ, Sutherland WH, McCormick MP, de Jong SA, McDonald JR, Walker RJ.
PMID: 11390728 

VITAMIN D
(1 microgram = 0.001 milligrams)

14. Treatment with vitamin D (0.10 micrograms per kilogram body weight) suppressed intact parathyroid hormone levels in patients with chronic renal failure without side effects.

Clin Nephrol. 2001 Oct;56(4):315-23. 
A long-term, multicenter study of the efficacy and safety of paricalcitol in end-stage renal disease.
Lindberg J, Martin KJ, Gonzalez EA, Acchiardo SR, Valdin JR, Soltanek C.
PMID: 11680662

15. Daily doses of calcitriol (0.25 micrograms/day) and calcium carbonate (1 gram/day) for 24 months slowed the rate of bone loss in patients with early chronic renal failure.

Nephrol Dial Transplant. 1994;9(11):1595-9. 
Comment in:
    Nephrol Dial Transplant. 1995;10(4):577.
Calcitriol and calcium carbonate therapy in early chronic renal failure.
Bianchi ML, Colantonio G, Campanini F, Rossi R, Valenti G, Ortolani S, Buccianti G.
PMID: 7870349

ZINC

Animal Study

16. Zinc solution (24 micrograms per kilogram body weight) was given to rats before the induction of calcium deposits in renal tissue with sodium oxalate. Rats with zinc had less calcium accumulation compared to those receiving placebo.

Ann Urol (Paris). 1991;25(5):250-3. 
[Comparative study between the anti-lithogenic action of zinc and copper against oxalic lithiasis in the rat]
[Article in French]
Sakly R, Zarrouk K, Achour A, Hedhili A, Mbazzaa A.
PMID: 1776873

17. Daily doses of zinc (60 mg) for 4 weeks increased monocyte accessory cell function and delayed type hypersensitivity in patients with chronic renal failure.

Proc Eur Dial Transplant Assoc Eur Ren Assoc. 1985;21:825-9. 
Effect of zinc treatment on cell mediated immunity of chronic renal failure patients.
Grekas D, Tsakalos N, Giannopoulos Z, Tourkantonis A.
PMID: 3991579

18. Treatment with N-acetylcysteine (140 mg per kilogram body weight then 70 mg per kilogram body weight every 4 hours for 4 days) improved renal function and reduced renal toxicity following cancer treatment.
 
Ren Fail. 2002 Jul;24(4):529-33. 
N-acetylcysteine as salvage therapy in cisplatin nephrotoxicity.
Nisar S, Feinfeld DA.