Effect of heavy metal exposure on human kidney cells

Heavy metal cytotoxicity using lab-based cell culture of human kidney (HK-2) cells is of interest. The exposed cells contained lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) at dosages of 5 µM, 10 µM and 20 µM during incubation periods of 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours. Cadmium induced the maximum cell death through its dose-dependent pattern while exposing cells to 20 µM cadmium for 72 hours at 52.4%. Next in line was mercury which reduced cell viability to 60.8% and lead reduced it to 68.9% when cells were exposed to 20 µM for 72 hours. Under cadmium treatment at 20 µM the levels of ROS rose 2.3 times in the target cells. The cells experienced shrinkage of their size and developed membrane blisters through morphological transformations. This study reveals severe kidney damage because cadmium caused the worst impact on renal cell structure.