ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the chemistry and the comparative pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of the aminoglycosides as a prelude to discussing their toxicology. Aminoglycosides are a therapeutically essential class of antibiotics whose usefulness is often restricted by their nephrotoxic potential. Aminoglycosides are thus of interest to nephrologists who must either administer them in such a fashion as to avoid toxicosis or manage and treat the patient who has developed a drug-induced toxic nephropathy. The toxic syndrome seen clinically in man will then be presented followed by a brief discussion of the postulated mechanisms of aminoglycoside-induced toxic nephropathy (AgTN) at a nephron and cellular level. Estimates of the incidence of AgTN in man range from 2 to 26% of treated patients, in spite of the fact that patients receiving a drug are carefully monitored to avoid toxicity. Animal models used to study AgTN have primarily been laboratory animal species, i. e., rats, rabbits, and dogs.
