A nephrotoxic agent may be defined as one which can produce morphological and functional alterations of the kidney after acute or chronic administration.
In principle the nephrotoxic effect is not cause by a distinct sensitivity of the kidney to drugs. Firsts of all the nephrotoxicity of drugs is the consequences of the concentration of drugs in kidney tissue or in the urinary passage, which is connected with the elimination of drugs.
Nephrotoxicity from ingested foods is uncommon. E. coli O157:H7 may produce acute gastroenteritis, hemolysis and anemia, thrombocytopenia, and azotemia: the hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).
Other exposures and conditions may produce this syndrome, including estrogen-containing contraceptive, cyclosporine-A and mitomycin-C.
Occasionally, acute renal insufficiency is seen in patients with aberrant ingestion-related behavior. In the case of Vichy water, Worcestershire sauce, milk, licorice and rhubarb such a high qualities of food are ingested that one component reaches nephrotoxic.
Nephrotoxicity
