Alpha 2u-globulin nephropathy: review of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved and their implications for human risk assessment.

This paper reviews what is known about the induction of alpha 2u-globulin nephropathy and carcinogenesis. This unique male-rat-specific disease is associated with exposure to an ever-increasing number of chemicals. The processes leading to nephropathy and renal cancer are among the best-understood mechanisms for nongenotoxic chemicals and strongly support that it is a male-rat-specific process that is not relevant for human risk assessment. Nevertheless, the data available for individual chemicals vary greatly. This necessitates a case-by-case analysis of the available data when determining the relevance for humans of this chemically induced renal disease in male rats.