Definition
Lead (Pb) nephrotoxicity relates to experimental, epidemiologic, and clinical evidence of renal damage and hypertension associated to environmental or occupational Pb exposure. The biology of Pb is very complex because even if at low or occult and often underestimated doses, this poisonous heavy metal may exert chronic nephropathy that becomes evident many decades later from the first exposure period, occurred even during the pregnancy status or in fetal life. Recent proteomic studies and the use of transgenic rodent models provide new clues to address the kidney not simply as the main Pb excretion route but also as an important target for Pb-induced protein aggregates.
What Is Lead? Brief History
Pb is a ubiquitous heavy metal that man encountered thousands of years ago, called plumbum by Romans, from which was derived the symbol Pb; it was known also in ancient Egypt and cited in the Bible. It...
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Stacchiotti, A., Corsetti, G., Rezzani, R. (2013). Lead Nephrotoxicity. In: Kretsinger, R.H., Uversky, V.N., Permyakov, E.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Metalloproteins. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1533-6_328
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1533-6_328
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-1532-9
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