Free Radicals and Related Reactive Species in Renal Diseases

Abstract

Kidney diseases are broadly classified into acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. They collectively affect approximately 10% of the adult population in the United States and worldwide, and represent a major issue of public health. As our understanding of the pathophysiology of kidney diseases becomes more advanced, various new mechanistically-based therapeutic strategies for treating these diseases have been developed. This chapter summarizes experimental and clinical evidence supporting a causative role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of both acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. It also discusses the recent development of antioxidant-based intervention of kidney disorders.

Keywords: Acute kidney injury, Antioxidant intervention, Chronic kidney disease, Nephrotoxicity, Oxidative stress, Reactive nitrogen species, Reactive oxygen species, Renal diseases.

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