Urinary enzymes, protein and serum biochemical parameters were investigated before and after ESWL in 56 patients with kidney stones. N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase（NAG）, albumin and total protein levels in urine as well as the levels of lactic dehydrogenase（LDH）, creatinine phosphokinase（AKP）, γ-glutamyltransferase（γ-GT）, and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase（GOT）in serum were significantly elevated 1 to 3 days and became normal 5 to 7 days after treatment, but the levels of blood urea nitrogen（BUN）, creatinine（Cr）showed no significant changes. The effects of ESWL on normal rabbit kindneys were also examined in 24 rabbits after treatment. Histological observations revealed that marked hemorrhagic pathological changes were noted within 1 to 3 days and were lessened and replaced by infiltration of lymphocytes and proliferation of fibroblasts 7 days after ESWL. The findings indicated ESWL could cause a transient renal injury which could be recovered shortly after treatment.