Relationships between histological and functional indices of acute chemically induced nephrotoxicity

Acute renal injury was produced in rats with K2Cr2O7 (5-40 mg/kg, sc) HgCl2 (0.5-5.0 mg/kg, sc) or cephaloridine (0.5-3.0 g/kg, sc). Histological (percentage of normal, degenerated or necrotic cells) and functional indices (relative kidney weight, renal cortical slice accumulation of organic ions, and blood urea nitrogen content) were evaluated 48 hours later. The relative sensitivity of each of these indices was determined for each nephrotoxicant. Renal cortical accumulation of organic ions appeared to be the most sensitive of the functional parameters. A quantitative histological evaluation was found to be as sensitive an indicator of nephrotoxicity as organic ion accumulation. Alterations in each of the functional indices were significantly correlated with changes in renal histology.