Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a major global health burden with complex and multifactorial etiology. In recent years, increasing attention has been directed toward environmental pollutants, including microplastics (MPs), as potential contributors to renal injury. Microplastics, defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, are omnipresent in the environment and have been detected in food, water, and even human biological samples. This review explores the physicochemical characteristics, toxicokinetics, and nephrotoxic potential of MPs, with a particular focus on data from in vivo studies. Evidence suggests that MPs, especially in nanoscale, can penetrate biological barriers, accumulate in renal tissue, and induce glomerular and tubular damage through mechanisms involving oxidative stress, inflammation, and epigenetic dysregulation. MPs should be considered emerging nephrotoxicants with possible relevance in the prevention and management of CKD.
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