Methods for preventing or treating ischemia-reperfusion injury of the kidney

摘要

The invention provides a method of treating or preventing ischemia-reperfusion injury of the kidney in a mammal. The method comprises administering an effective amount of an aromatic-cationic peptide having at least one net positive charge; a minimum of four amino acids; a maximum of about twenty amino acids; a relationship between the minimum number of net positive charges (p_m) and the total number of amino acid residues (r) wherein 3p_m is the largest number that is less than or equal to r+1; and a relationship between the minimum number of aromatic groups (a) and the total number of net positive charges (p_t) wherein 2 a is the largest number that is less than or equal to p_t+1, except that when a is 1, p_t may also be 1.