Acute kidney injury: global health alert.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasingly prevalent in developing and developed countries and is associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Most etiologies of AKI can be prevented by interventions at the individual, community, regional and in-hospital levels. Effective measures must include community-wide efforts to increase an awareness of the devastating effects of AKI and provide guidance on preventive strategies, as well as early recognition and management. Efforts should be focused on minimizing causes of AKI, increasing awareness of the importance of serial measurements of serum creatinine in high risk patients, and documenting urine volume in acutely ill people to achieve early diagnosis; there is as yet no definitive role for alternative biomarkers. Protocols need to be developed to systematically manage prerenal conditions and specific infections. More accurate data about the true incidence and clinical impact of AKI will help to raise the importance of the disease in the community, increase awareness of AKI by governments, the public, general and family physicians and other health care professionals to help prevent the disease. Prevention is the key to avoid the heavy burden of mortality and morbidity associated with AKI.

Effects of sirolimus alone or in combination with cyclosporine A on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury

Calcineurin inhibitors exacerbate ischemic injury in transplanted kidneys, but it is not known if sirolimus protects or exacerbates the transplanted kidney from ischemic injury. We determined the effects of sirolimus alone or in combination with cyclosporin A (CsA) on oxygenated and hypoxic/reoxygenated rat proximal tubules in the following in vitro groups containing 6-9 rats per group: sirolimus (10, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 çg/mL); CsA (100 µg/mL); sirolimus (50 and 250 çg/mL) + CsA (100 µg/mL); control; vehicle (20 percent ethanol). For in vivo studies, 3-week-old Wistar rats (150-250 g) were submitted to left nephrectomy and 30-min renal artery clamping. Renal function and histological evaluation were performed 24 h and 7 days after ischemia (I) in five groups: sham, I, I + SRL (3 mg·kg-1·day-1, po), I + CsA (3 mg·kg-1·day-1, sc), I + SRL + CsA. Sirolimus did not injure oxygenated or hypoxic/reoxygenated proximal tubules and did not potentiate the tubular toxic effects of CsA. Neither drug affected the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at 24 h. GFR was reduced in CsA-treated rats on day 7 (0.5 ± 0.1 mL/min) but not in rats receiving sirolimus + CsA (0.8 ± 0.1 mL/min) despite the reduction in renal blood flow (3.9 ± 0.5 mL/min). Acute tubular necrosis regeneration was similar for all groups. Sirolimus alone was not toxic and did not enhance hypoxia/reoxygenation injury or CsA toxicity to proximal tubules. Despite its hemodynamic effects, sirolimus protected post-ischemic kidneys against CsA toxicity.

Effects of sirolimus alone or in combination with cyclosporine A on renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Calcineurin inhibitors exacerbate ischemic injury in transplanted kidneys, but it is not known if sirolimus protects or exacerbates the transplanted kidney from ischemic injury. We determined the effects of sirolimus alone or in combination with cyclosporin A (CsA) on oxygenated and hypoxic/reoxygenated rat proximal tubules in the following in vitro groups containing 6-9 rats per group: sirolimus (10, 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 nanog/mL); CsA (100 microg/mL); sirolimus (50 and 250 nanog/mL) + CsA (100 microg/mL); control; vehicle (20% ethanol). For in vivo studies, 3-week-old Wistar rats (150-250 g) were submitted to left nephrectomy and 30-min renal artery clamping. Renal function and histological evaluation were performed 24 h and 7 days after ischemia (I) in five groups: sham, I, I + SRL (3 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1), po), I + CsA (3 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1), sc), I + SRL + CsA. Sirolimus did not injure oxygenated or hypoxic/reoxygenated proximal tubules and did not potentiate the tubular toxic effects of CsA. Neither drug affected the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at 24 h. GFR was reduced in CsA-treated rats on day 7 (0.5 +/- 0.1 mL/min) but not in rats receiving sirolimus + CsA (0.8 +/- 0.1 mL/min) despite the reduction in renal blood flow (3.9 +/- 0.5 mL/min). Acute tubular necrosis regeneration was similar for all groups. Sirolimus alone was not toxic and did not enhance hypoxia/reoxygenation injury or CsA toxicity to proximal tubules. Despite its hemodynamic effects, sirolimus protected post-ischemic kidneys against CsA toxicity.

Prolonged administration of FTY720 does not cause renal toxicity in mice.

Prevention of allograft rejection without renal toxicity caused by calcineurin-inhibitor immunosuppression is a major goal for transplantation. FTY720 is a synthetic drug that modulates immune responses of transplantation in many animal models. FTY720 modulating mechanisms relate to lymphocyte migration to peripheral lymph nodes instead of inflammatory sites. The drug has no effect on T-cell proliferation or cytokine production, and therefore prevents generalized immunosuppression. However, it is still to be confirmed that FTY720 has no nephrotoxic effects when administered continuously. In the present study FTY720 was administered orally for 21 days to C57BL/6 mice that underwent weekly evaluations. FTY720 (1 mg/kg per day) impaired body weight gain, but had no significant effect on either renal function or structure. Our findings suggest that FTY720 may provide a reasonable add-on therapy in calcineurin-inhibitor-treated transplant recipients.

FTY720 prevents renal T-cell infiltration after ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, a common early feature in renal transplantation, results from both free radical species generation and local inflammatory responses that attract different types of cells. The interaction with infiltrating leukocytes could promote damage and death of resident renal cells contributing to worsening of renal function. It has been shown that depletion of host T cells protects against kidney damage after I/R injury, although the mechanism is not fully understood. FTY720, a synthetic analog of a natural product extracted from Isaria sincclairii has shown modulatory properties in experimental models of autoimmune disease, transplantation, and I/R injury. FTY720 alters lymphocyte responses to chemokine homing signals, thereby decreasing the number of lymphocytes in inflammatory sites. We evaluated renal function in mice at 3, 5, and 7 days after I/R injury in the presence or absence of FTY720 treatment. FTY720 treatment promoted earlier recovery of renal function associated with a lower number of renal-infiltrating lymphocytes. These findings confirm previous results showing a protective effect of FTY720 in I/R injury models.

Rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, and death after monensin ingestion.

We report a case of human monensin intoxication; to our knowledge, this is the first reported case in the medical literature. The patient took a dose of monensin three times higher than a dose considered lethal for cattle and developed a clinical picture similar to that reported in veterinary medicine. There was an early and extremely severe rhabdomyolysis followed by acute renal failure, heart failure, and death. The main changes observed at autopsy were extensive skeletal muscle necrosis, complement deposition at the myocardial level, pulmonary edema, and acute tubular damage.

Fatal cerebral hemorrhage and acute renal failure after young Bothrops jararacussu snake bite.

An unusual case of a patient developing severe coagulopathy disorder and a clinical picture of cerebral hemorrhage and acute renal failure after young Bothrops jararacussu snake bite is reported. The mechanisms of snake venom-induced injury are discussed and similar cases in literature are revised and compared. The use of bothropic-Crotalus antivenom in severe B. jararacussu envenomation is discussed.

Renal function changes after elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Cardiac surgery can either induce acute renal failure or improve GFR by improving the cardiac performance. In order to study renal function changes after elective cardiac surgery (CS) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPBP), 21 patients undergoing valvular CS (VCS) or coronary artery bypass (CAB) were prospectively evaluated in three time periods: before, 24 hours after surgery and 48 hours after surgery. Patients were divided in 2 groups according to the GFR percent change in comparison to the baseline value found 24 hours after CS (deltaGFR24): Group 1, deltaGFR24 decrease higher than 20% (n = 11) and Group 2, deltaGFR24 decrease < or = 20% or deltaGFR24 increase (n = 10). In Group 1, 73% of the patients underwent VCS (p = 0.05 vs. Group 2) and all of them had previous VCS in sharp contrast with Group 2, where none of the patients had previous CS (p = 0.006). Patients in Group I required more volume replacement than Group 2 during the first 24 hours after CS: 2,699+/-704 mL versus 217+/-603 mL respectively, p = 0.019. Despite similar baseline GFR, Group 1 presented lower GFR 24 hours after CS when compared to Group 2 (39+/-5 versus 75+/-8 mL/(min x 1.73m2), p = 0.001) and a significantly different deltaGFR 48 hours after CS as compared to Group 2 (-21+/-11 versus +88+/-36%, p<0.01). Baseline sodium fractional excretion (FENa) in Group 1 was lower than in Group 2 (0.27+/-0.04 versus 0.70+/-0.12%, p = 0.01). No changes were observed after CS in urinary osmolality (Uosm) and urinary pH (UpH) in both groups. The deltaGFR24 showed positive correlation with baseline FENa (r = 0.44 p = 0.04) and negative correlation with volume balance during the first 24h after CS (r = -0.63, p = 0.007). More patients in Group 1 required nitroprusside than in Group 2 (66% vs. 14%, p = 0.04). Anesthesia time was shorter in Group 1 as compared to Group 2: 323+/-21 vs. 395+/-26 min, p = 0.04. No significant hemolysis occurred during CS in either group. There were no differences in age, gender, CPBP time, need for dopamine and/or dobutamine between the two groups. In conclusion, patients who presented GFR decrease after CS underwent VCS more frequently, had more prevalence of previous CS, presented lower baseline FENa, required more volume infusion and more nitroprusside use. On the other hand, no tubular dysfunction was detected in the early follow-up of CS. These results suggest that the observed renal function changes should be the result of an appropriated renal response to a low effective blood volume. In fact, a low baseline FENa anticipated a GFR decrease in these patients. Consistently, CAB patients that usually improve their cardiac output after surgery showed a clear GFR improvement.

The role of renal sympathetic nerves in experimental chronic cyclosporine nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity has been postulated to play a major role in the intense intrarenal vasospasm and hypertension provoked by cyclosporine. It has been argued that the denervated renal allograft may be partially protected from the tubulointerstitial fibrosis associated with chronic cyclosporine administration compared with innervated kidneys in extrarenal transplantation. METHODS: Utilizing a model of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy in which striped fibrosis develops in the uninephrectomized salt-depleted rat, the effect of renal denervation on renal structure and function was examined. Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on a low-salt diet underwent uninephrectomy and contralateral renal denervation or sham denervation, followed by cyclosporine 15 mg/kg daily by injection. RESULTS: After 21 days, glomerular filtration was markedly depressed and linear zones of tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis had developed compared with vehicle-treated control animals (P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in either renal function or structure between denervated and sham-operated animals treated with cyclosporine. CONCLUSION: We conclude that renal sympathetic neural hyperactivity is not important in the development of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy.

Cyclosporine-induced interstitial fibrosis and arteriolar TGF-beta expression with preserved renal blood flow.

BACKGROUND: Cyclosporine A (CsA)-induced chronic nephrotoxicity is characterized by interstitial fibrosis and afferent arteriole hyalinosis. CsA lesion has been linked to maintained renal vasoconstriction and narrowing of the afferent arteriole lumen diameter, leading to preglomerular ischemia. We investigated the role of renal hemodynamics in CsA-induced transforming growth factor (TGF-beta) expression and interstitial fibrosis. METHODS: Groups of rats fed a low salt diet were given CsA 5 mg/kg/day (CsA) or the vehicle (olive oil, [VH]) s.c. and had the renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), mean arterial pressure, renal vascular resistance, renal histologic changes, and immunohistochemical features for macrophages and TGF-beta evaluated after 1, 2, and 8 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: At week 1, despite normal renal hemodynamics and MAP, there was a significant macrophage interstitial influx in CsA-treated rats (70+/-16 vs. 29+/-4 cells+/0.5 mm2, in CsA vs. VH, P=0.02) that was progressive with treatment (80+/-13 vs. 32+/-8 cells+/0.5 mm2, P=0.016 and 197+/-36 vs. 23+/-3 cells+/0.5 mm2, P=0.0002, CsA vs. VH at 2 and 8 weeks, respectively). After 2 weeks of treatment, CsA animals developed a significant interstitial fibrosis, with preserved RBF, even when it was assessed 2 hr after CsA injection. There was a significant increase in the immunostaining for TGF-beta in the juxtaglomerular arterioles in CsA-treated rats (48.6+/-3.8 vs. 35.1+/-1.1%, CsA vs. VH at 2 weeks, P<0.05 and 59.0+/-3.2 vs. 37.0+/-2.1%, CsA vs. VH at 8 weeks, P=0.0001). A significant and progressive GFR decrease followed the renal structural injury of CsA treatment. Arteriolar and glomerular anatomic injury were not found throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: Low CsA doses might generate interstitial fibrosis without any decrease in RBF or structural arteriolar lesion evidence, possibly through early macrophage influx and increased TGF-beta expression. It clearly seems that CsA-induced ischemia and tubulointerstitial injury may occur independently, suggesting that chronic CsA nephrotoxicity may be very hard to prevent or even not be preventable at all.

Acute bilateral renal artery occlusion due to granulomatous and necrotizing vasculitis.

A case of anuric acute renal failure due to bilateral renal artery obstruction in a 42 year-old man is presented. The obstruction was caused by bilateral thrombosis secondary to arteritis. Autopsy showed granulomatous and necrotizing vasculitis in both main renal arteries. Scarring and also necrotizing vasculitis were found from interlobular to arcuate renal arteries. The present case indicates that vasculitis should be considered when there is renal artery obstruction in young patients.

Prospective study of tetanus-induced acute renal dysfunction: role of adrenergic overactivity.

To assess the mechanisms related to tetanus-induced acute renal failure (ARF), 30 patients with tetanus had their renal function prospectively studied and factors possibly related to renal changes were evaluated during four weeks of hospitalization. Fifty percent of these patients had a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < or = 50 ml/min in the first or second week of hospitalization (Group I) and 50% had a GFR > 50 ml/min throughout the entire hospitalization period (Group II). Age, gender, tetanus incubation time and tetanus onset time, hospitalization time, use of nephrotoxic drugs, need for mechanical ventilation with intermittent positive pressure, and presence of systemic infection were similar in both groups. None of the patients presented with oliguria. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) overactivity, characterized by intense variations in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, by increased heart rate and elevated urinary metanephrine excretion, was higher in Group I compared with Group II. Plasma renin activity, serum creatinephosphokinase levels, and myoglobinuria were not significantly different between the two groups. These results strongly suggest that tetanus-induced ARF has a high prevalence, is characterized by early onset, and is probably related to ANS overactivity.

Nephrology, dialysis and transplantation in Brazil.

The European Renal Association welcomes this opportunity and feels that European nephrologists should be informed about the state of nephrology in South America, with which particularly our Latin colleagues maintain close cultural relationships. The following report on Nephrology in Brazil is a welcome addition to a series of reports designed to provide to European nephrologists a global view of nephrology. It is hoped that this is not misconstrued as a violation of nephrological Monroe doctrine.

Anuric acute renal failure caused by dextran 40 administration.

Dextran 40 is largely used in clinical medicine as a plasma substitute because of its beneficial effects on the microcirculation and antithrombogenic properties. An unusual adverse reaction of dextran administration is oligoanuric acute renal failure. We report two cases of anuric ARF induced by dextran 40. Diuresis and renal function were quickly resumed after plasma-pheresis treatment. Renal biopsy revealed normal kidneys except for swelling and vacuolation of renal tubules suggestive of osmotic nephrosis.

Nephrotoxicity of immunosuppressive drugs: experimental and clinical observations.

Cyclosporine has improved patient and graft survival rates in solid organ transplantation since its introduction in 1976, and has been increasingly applied with considerable clinical benefit in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. However, the therapeutic benefits of immunosuppressive therapy for transplantation and autoimmune indications have been frequently limited by the occurrence of acute and chronic nephrotoxicity, which is the most obvious common side effect. Cyclosporine nephrotoxicity therefore remains an important clinical challenge. The clinical aspects and pathophysiology of nephrotoxicity induced by current and future immunosuppressive drugs are reviewed in this article, with an emphasis on the studies of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy, which is characterized by a decrease in glomerular filtration rate, afferent arteriolopathy, and striped tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Insights gained from experimental models of chronic nephrotoxicity associated with tubulointerstitial fibrosis and arteriolopathy are presented to elucidate the pathophysiology. Thus, experimental and clinical data regarding tacrolimus (FK506) and sirolimus (rapamycin) are presented.

Prednisone alters the histopathology of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy.

The effects of prednisone (Pred) and azathioprine (Aza) on a rat model of chronic cyclosporine (CsA) nephropathy were studied. Twenty-four salt-depleted Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to four groups: (1) control; (2) CsA 15 mg/kg; (3) CsA/Aza 5 mg/kg, and (4) CsA/Pred 1 mg/kg. After 4 weeks, functional measurements, including urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) levels, were determined. Semiquantitative grading of cortical and medullary damage was done. Cross-sectional areas of medullary thick ascending limbs (mTAL) and collecting ducts (CD) were determined. Tubulointerstitial injury was equivalent in all CsA groups, but tended to be lowest in the CsA/Pred group. Mean mTAL size in the CsA/Pred group was significantly greater than controls (p = 0.035). In contrast, mean CD size was not different among all groups. All CsA-treated animals had significantly larger hypertrophic mTAL than controls. The degree of hypertrophy was even greater in the CsA/Pred group (p = 0.006 vs. the other CsA-treated groups). Mean mTAL size was found to correlate with creatinine clearance, free water reabsorption, and urinary NAG. The percent of hypertrophic mTAL was found to correlate with creatinine clearance, free water reabsorption, and urinary NAG. This report shows that Pred alters the nephrotoxic effect of CsA, permitting a predominantly hypertrophic, rather than atrophic, medullary response. The extent of hypertrophy, in all CsA-treated groups, correlated with improved functional parameters, suggesting that at least in one phase of CsA nephropathy compensatory responses preserve renal function.

Severe acute renal failure induced by the venom of Lonomia caterpillars.

A case of a patient developing anuric acute renal failure and a hemorrhagic syndrome resembling disseminated intravascular coagulation after contact with Lonomia caterpillars is reported. Renal histology showed only mild changes consistent with renal ischemia, although the patient never was hypotensive. The mechanisms of renal injury were obscure and might be related to transient glomerular ischemia due to microcirculation fibrin deposition or to direct venom nephrotoxicity.

Comparison of acute rapamycin nephrotoxicity with cyclosporine and FK506.

Acute cyclosporine (CsA) nephrotoxicity is characterized by a reduction of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), hypomagnesemia and tubular injury. The mechanisms of CsA's immunosuppressive action and presumably its nephrotoxicity are mediated through inhibition of the renal phosphatase, calcineurin. FK506 (FK), which has a different chemical structure and binding immunophilin, also inhibits calcineurin. We compared the renal effects of these drugs to those of rapamycin (RAPA), which although similar in structure and intracellular binding to FK, does not work by changing calcineurin activity. Rats were given CsA (15 mg/kg/s.c.), FK (6 mg/kg/p.o.), RAPA (3 mg/kg/p.o.) or vehicle (V) for two weeks on a low salt diet. CsA and FK strikingly decreased urinary excretion of nitric oxide, renal blood flow and GFR, whereas RAPA did not. In contrast, all these three drugs caused significant hypomagnesemia associated with inappropriately high fractional excretion of magnesium, suggesting renal magnesium wasting. In addition, with all three drugs there were lesions in the rat kidneys consisting of tubular collapse, vacuolization and nephrocalcinosis. We thus showed that only the calcineurin inhibitors produced glomerular dysfunction in an acute experimental model of nephrotoxicity. The mechanism of hypomagnesemia and tubular injury induced by all three immunosuppressive drugs is unclear but may be independent of calcineurin. The mechanism of renal vasoconstriction on the other hand may be related to inhibition of calcineurin.