Renal toxicity

The kidney plays an important role in the total body homeostasis by multiple functions. The important functions include excretion of metabolic waste products and foreign chemicals, regulation of water and electrolyte balances, regulation of body fluid osmolality and electrolyte concentrations, regulation of arterial pressure, regulation of acid-base balance, secretion, metabolism, and excretion of hormones and gluconeogenesis. A toxic insult to the kidney can disrupt any or all of these functions and result in an acute or chronic toxic effect on the body. The primary functions of the kidney are to get rid of the body waste materials that are either ingested or produced by metabolism and to control the volume and composition of the body fluids. The toxins absorbed by the different routes are biotransformed and enter the blood, which is eliminated through the urine, feces, and air. Because the kidney receives approximately a quarter of the cardiac output, it is an important organ for the exposure of toxicants and their metabolites.