Silicon Metabolism

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Abstract
Renal silicon handling was investigated in 23 healthy adults using electrothermal atomic absorption techniques. The mean urinary silicon excretion was 33.1 ± 3.85 mg/day; the mean renal silicon clearance was 88.6 ± 7.94 ml/min; the mean fractional excretion of silicon was 86.35 ± 8.1%, and the mean urine silicon concentration was 0.265 µg/ml. Using multiple correlation analysis, the urinary silicon was found to be highly significantly correlated with the urine magnesium concentration (p < 0.001) and also with urinary sodium and urinary osmolality (p < 0.01). 24-hour urinary silicon excretion was highly significantly correlated with fractional excretion of silicon (p < 0.001), sodium (p < 0.001), phosphorus (p < 0.001), magnesium (p < 0.001), and osmolar load. In split urine studies in 7 subjects urinary silicon was correlated highly significantly with urinary magnesium in all 7 and with urinary osmolality, urine calcium, and urine creatine concentration in 6 of 7. There was a highly significant correlation between renal silicon clearance and fractional excretion of silicon (p < 0.0005), with magnesium excretion (p < 0.01), and with sodium excretion. It is suggested that ion pairing of orthosilicate and magnesium may explain some of these urinary findings.

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