Renal chromium accumulation and its relationship to chromium-induced nephrotoxicity.

This report is an attempt to study the renal handling of chromium under in vitro conditions and to relate this to the actions of the ion in the production of nephrotoxicity. Renal slice techniques were employed in these studies and were used to examine the effects of chromium on various renal transport processes. In addition, the accumulation of chromium by the renal tissue has also been studied. Marked accumulation by renal cortical slices of the rat was observed when 51Cr-labeled chromate or dichromate was added to the bathing solution. Some metabolic inhibitors interfered with this uptake process; in addition, some substrates metabolized by renal tissue reduced the accumulation of 51Cr. The use of [51Cr] dichromate and [51Cr]-chromate, as well as alterations in the bathing solution pH, indicated that in the rat chromium can interfere with renal transport processes, but that the oxidation state of this metal is not important. On the other hand, in the rabbit a greater interference with 51Cr uptake was noted at lower bathing solution pHs. This is interpreted to mean that chromate is the effective inhibitor in this species.