Initiation of the inflammatory response after renal ischemia/reperfusion injury during renal transplantation.

Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) occurs commonly during renal transplantation. It has been well demonstrated that the inflammatory response has an important role in the pathogenesis and pathological processes of IRI. However, the signaling events that trigger the activation of the inflammatory response are less clear. Accumulated evidence has identified the role of various injury factors released from or exposed in ischemic, damaged, or dying cells, which serve as initiators of the inflammatory response and exacerbate kidney injury after renal IRI. Signaling pathways triggered by these endogenous molecules that activate different pathogen recognition receptors have also been widely investigated. Here, we review the molecular signaling molecules that initiate the inflammatory response during renal IRI and that provide potential therapeutic options for the disease.