ABSTRACT
The functioning of the kidney, at both glomerular and tubular levels, is regulated by a complex network of circulating and locally produced hormones. These hormones comprise a chemically heterogeneous group, which includes proteins, lipids, nucleosides, and amino acid-derived molecules. Besides influencing physiological determinants of renal function, these substances, when produced in excess, may participate through their vasoactive and proinflammatory properties to the pathogenic processes, leading to acute or chronic renal dysfunction. They are also involved in the mechanisms by which drugs and chemicals can cause glomerular and tubular structural and functional changes, both in laboratory animals and in humans.
