Compositions and methods for reducing or protecting against delayed graft function (DGF)

A method of reducing Delayed Graft Function (DGF) in a recipient of a kidney transplant from a deceased donor, comprising only between 15 minutes and 4 hours following revascularization of the transplanted kidney, intravenously administering to the recipient, a composition which comprises a double-stranded RNA compound having the structure:

• 5′ (N)x-Z 3′ (antisense strand)
• 3′ Z′-(N′)y 5′ (sense strand)
• wherein each N and N′ is a ribonucleotide which may be unmodified or modified in its sugar residue;
• wherein each of (N)x and (N′)y is an oligonucleotide in which each consecutive ribonucleotide is joined to the next ribonucleotide by a covalent bond and each of x and y is an integer between 18 and 40;
• wherein in each of (N)x and (N′)y the ribonucleotides alternate between modified ribonucleotides and unmodified ribonucleotides, each modified ribonucleotide being a 2′-O-methyl sugar modified ribonucleotide;
• wherein each of Z and Z′ may be present or absent, but if present is 1-5 deoxyribonucleotides covalently attached at the 3′ terminus of the oligonucleotide in which it is present;
• wherein the sequence of the antisense strand comprises the sequence 5′ UGAAGGGUGAAAUAUUCUC 3′ (SEQ ID NO:2) and the sequence of the sense strand comprises the sequence 5′ GAGAAUAUUUCACCCUUCA 3′ (SEQ ID NO:1);
• and
• wherein the composition comprises an amount of the compound effective to down-regulate expression of a p53 gene, and thereby reduce Delayed Graft Function (DGF) in the recipient.