Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25333633›Full record

ArticlePloS one2014

Theobromine inhibits uric acid crystallization. A potential application in the treatment of uric acid nephrolithiasis.

Felix Grases, Adrian Rodriguez, Antonia Costa-Bauza

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed
2.1field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 57 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Optimal artificial urine formulations forFrontiers in urology · 2026
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  5. Development of convenient crystallization inhibition assays for structure-activity relationship studies in the discovery of crystallization inhibitors.Medicinal chemistry research : an international journal for rapid communications on design and mechanisms of action of biologically active agents · 2023
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  9. Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022
    Review
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  15. Multishell Au@Ag@SiOMikrochimica acta · 2020
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Felix GrasesLaboratory of Renal Lithiasis Research, University Institute of Health Sciences Research (IUNICS-IdISPa) and Faculty of Science of the University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain.
Adrian RodriguezLaboratory of Renal Lithiasis Research, University Institute of Health Sciences Research (IUNICS-IdISPa) and Faculty of Science of the University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain.
Antonia Costa-BauzaLaboratory of Renal Lithiasis Research, University Institute of Health Sciences Research (IUNICS-IdISPa) and Faculty of Science of the University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain.
Research Institute of Health Sciences · ESUniversitat de les Illes Balears · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo assess the capacity of methylxanthines (caffeine, theophylline, theobromine and paraxanthine) to inhibit uric acid crystallization, and to evaluate their potential application in the treatment of uric acid nephrolithiasis. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe ability of methylxathines to inhibit uric acid nucleation was assayed turbidimetrically. Crystal morphology and its modification due to the effect of theobromine were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ability of theobromine to inhibit uric acid crystal growth on calculi fragments resulting from extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was evaluated using a flow system.

resultsThe turbidimetric assay showed that among the studied methylxanthines, theobromine could markedly inhibit uric acid nucleation. SEM images showed that the presence of theobromine resulted in thinner uric acid crystals. Furthermore, in a flow system theobromine blocked the regrowth of post-ESWL uric acid calculi fragments.

conclusionsTheobromine, a natural dimethylxanthine present in high amounts in cocoa, acts as an inhibitor of nucleation and crystal growth of uric acid. Therefore, theobromine may be clinically useful in the treatment of uric acid nephrolithiasis.

Indexed as

CrystallizationCaffeineHumansMicroscopy, Electron, ScanningNephrolithiasisOxalatesTheobromineUric AcidCaffeineOxalatesTheobromineUric Acid

Identifiers

PMID25333633
PMCPMC4205022
OpenAlexW1984277388

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.