Thrombospondin-1 mRNA expression in experimental kidney transplantation with heart-beating and non-heart-beating donors.

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) is a risk factor for delayed graft function, a clinical syndrome more frequently observed in non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs). Previous studies have reported that transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) gene expression increase in the first few days after kidney transplant and that this increase in TGF-beta1 expression is lower in NHBD animals. The purpose of this study was to extend the gene profile analysis by characterizing TGF-beta1 activator thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and genes related to HIF-1alpha such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), nitric oxide synthase-2 (NOS-2) and NOS-3.