Figure 1
Experimental protocol. A schematic drawing of the experimental protocol used to determine the effect of ischemic preconditioning (IPC, 2 cycles of 5 min of ischemia (I) and 5 min of reperfusion (R)), and the effect of intravenously injection of NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME, 5 mg/kg) 5 min before IPC (L-NAME+IPC group). In sham group, rats underwent only dissection of renal pedicles; in I/R group, rats were subjected to 60 min of bilateral renal ischemia followed by 120 min of reperfusion (n = 6 in each group).