Cadmium renal toxicity via apoptotic pathways.

Cadmium is a nonessential heavy metal and ubiquitous potential environmental pollutant. Although the kidney proximal tubule is an important target for cadmium, the underlying cellular mechanisms of cadmium-induced renal toxicity remain elusive. Numerous studies have demonstrated that cadmium induces apoptotic cell death in various cell types via several apoptotic pathways, including mitochondria-mediated apoptotic cell death. In the epithelial cells of renal proximal tubules, cadmium can also induce apoptotic cell death in vivo and in vitro, which suggests that cell death of the epithelial cells through the apoptotic pathways is one of the key events in cadmium-induced renal toxicity. In this review, based upon the major findings of previous reports related to cadmium and apoptotic cell death, especially in the kidney and kidney proximal tubular cells, we present evidence for the current mechanisms of cadmium-induced renal toxicity via apoptotic cell death.