Urinary biomarker detection of melamine- and cyanuric acid-induced kidney injury in rats

Abstract

Editor's Highlight: Melamine and cyanuric acid were added to pet food in the United States and baby formula in China to boost apparent protein content, resulting in widespread poisoning that was characterized by renal toxicity. The research conducted by the Goering group in this issue demonstrated that renal toxicity could be monitored by the analysis of urinary RPA-1 (distal tubule and collecting duct injury biomarker). This represents a novel and valuable biomarker for the noninvasive monitoring of obstructive nephropathy associated with melamine-cyanuric acid exposure. Published by Oxford University Press 2012.