In addition to oxidative stress as mechanism of Pb toxicity in the
kidney, experimental studies have shown that Pb exposure induces
an increase in apoptosis not only in liver but in kidneys as well.
Sujatha et al. (2011) have demonstrated that chronic treatment of
rats with Pb-acetate over a period of 12 weeks diffusely increased
the number of apoptotic bodies in proximal tubular cells. Thus, it
can be hypothesized that Pb intoxication influences gene expression
of apoptosis proteins.