Acute renal failure secondary to ischemic injury remains a common problem, with limited
and unsatisfactory therapeutic options. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL)
was recently shown to be one of the maximally induced genes early in the postischemic
kidney. In this study, the role of NGAL in ischemic renal injury was explored. Intravenous
administration of purified recombinant NGAL in mice resulted in a rapid uptake of the protein
predominantly by proximal tubule cells. In an established murine model of renal ischemia …