Renal effects and injury induced by animal toxins.

Animal toxins are well recognized for their hazards to man. Consisting of peptides, enzymes, chemicals and proteins, animal toxins can cause cellular injury with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. The kidney, as a highly vascularized organ, is vulnerable to toxin injury by either hemodynamic alterations which lead to renal ischemia or by direct kidney injury. Hemodynamic changes can be induced by toxin effects on ion channels, or by peptides and enzymes. Hemodynamic changes, inflammatory and vasoactive mediators and direct nephrotoxicity are tightly intregrated in causing renal injury. Several animal toxin components are involved in renal injury. Effects of toxins on renal tubular epithelial transport, a rather neglected area, and serum electrolyte changes in the victims are brought to attention.