Growth and inhibition of monohydrate sodium urate banded spherulites

Abstract

Gout is a chronic arthritis which arises from the abnormal crystalline deposition of monosodium urate (MSU). Banded spherulites of MSU were widely observed in gout pathological slices (E. Pascual, L. Addadi, M. Andrés and F. Sivera, Nat. Rev. Rheumatol., 2015, 11, 725) with limited understanding. MSU spherulites were obtained by evaporation growth showing banded morphologies induced from both twisting and rhythmic deposition. Taking the MSU spherulite as a facile model for the analysis of inhibitors for MSU crystals, the inhibition of MSU by three tailor-made additives, 1,3-dimethyluric acid (DMUA), 1-methyluric acid (MUA), and xanthine, resulted in MSU spherulites with different morphologies. The theoretical calculation has confirmed the distinct interaction of the different additives on the MSU crystalline faces.