Untitled Document
Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is characterized by restriction of blood supply to an organ followed by restoration of blood flow and re-oxygenation. The inevitable injuries may occur after infarction, sepsis and organ transplantation and this phenomena exacerbate tissue damage by initiating an inflammatory cascade including reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytokines, chemokines, and leukocytes activation. In the kidney, IRI contributes to pathological conditions called acute kidney injury (AKI) that is a clinical syndrome with rapid kidney dysfunction and high mortality rates. The pathophysiology of IRI in kidney is very complex but some pathological pathways such as activation of neutrophils, release of reactive oxygen species and other inflammatory mediators including adhesion molecules and a variety of cytokines are involved. Studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of different agents in combat with IRI, for example, doxycycline through reducing the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, leptin by decreasing tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) level and increasing nitrite level, levosimendan through antioxidant and NO-related mechanisms, iloprost by suppression of lipid peroxidation and ascorbic acid via free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities.