Nephrotoxins and pediatric kidney injury

Abstract

The kidney and liver play central roles in the elimination of xenobiotic substances including drugs, environmental substances, food additives, and their metabolites. All xenobiotic substances are ultimately excreted into the urine via the kidney or into the feces via the liver and bile duct in their original form or as metabolites [1–3]. Considering this essential role of the kidney, it is reasonable to expect it to be susceptible to these xenobiotics. In addition, several specific functions of the kidney (e.g., tubular transport, metabolism of xenobiotics, and concentration of urine) and changes in hemodynamics in the kidney may cause nephrotoxicity.