Abstract: OBJECTIVE To explore the renal protection of triptolide(TP) on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI) model, and explore it's effect on JNK signaling pathways. METHODS Ninety male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, IRI model group(IRI group), TP intervention groups(high, medium and low dose group) and prednisone group (Pred group). Renal IRI model was made by clipping bilateral renal artery for 30 min, then 18 h reperfusion. Serum creatinine (Scr), urea nitrogen(BUN), renal pathological changes were observed. And renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL method. JNK, c-Jun protein and gene expressions were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR respectively. RESULTS Compared with sham operation group, the Scr, BUN, and cell apoptosis index in the IRI group were significantly increased(P<0.01). Above indexes were improved in each TP group and Pred group as compared with the IRI group(P<0.01). And the cell apoptosis index in each TP group was better than that in Pred group. The expression of JNK, c-Jun were higher in IRI group than those in the sham operation group(P<0.01). Compared with the IRI group, the expression of JNK and c-Jun in the TP group was weakened(P<0.01), and there was no difference in the expression of the Pred group. CONCLUSION TP reduces renal tubular injury by inhibiting renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis, which may be related to inhibit the activation of the JNK signaling pathway.