Objective:To evaluate renal protection between schedules of single-cycle and multi-cycles ischemic precondition(IP) in rats. Methods:Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided randomly into 4 groups after right kidney nephrectomy:Group 1 was for ischemia-reperfusion(I/R):the rats were treated with 45-minutes ischemia in left artery and then reperfused. Group 2 was for single-cycle ischemic precondition(SCP):the left artery of rat were blocked for 10 minutes,reperfused for 10 minutes,and then treated with 45 minutes ischemia prior to reperfusion. Group 3 was for multi-cycles ischemic precondition(MCP):the left artery of rats were blocked for 2 minutes,reperfused for 5 minutes,repeated for 3 cycles,and then treated with 45 minutes ischemia prior to reperfusion. Group 4 was sham-operated controls. Results:Serum creatinine(Scr)level in all groups increased markedly compared with sham group(P < 0. 01). Scr concentration,tubular ischemic injury index decreased significantly after IP in SCP and MCP groups compared with I/R group(P < 0.01). Furthermore,they were showed in a lower level in MCP group than that in SCP group(P < 0.01). Conclusion:Ischemic preconditioning can protect kidney from ischemia injury on histological and biochemical level. The renal ischemic preconditioning which induced by 2 minutes occlusion,5 minutes reperfusion and repeated for 3 cycles,followed by 45 minutes re-ischemia showed better protection than the single-cycle ischemic precondition.