In the present study, we first demonstrated that i.p. injection of D-ribose induced podocyte injury and glomerular sclerosis in mice, which were associated with NLRP3 inflammasome activation and consequent increase in IL-1β production, suggesting that NLRP3 inflammasome activation may be a critical mechanism for D-ribose-induced podocyte injury and progressive development of glomerular sclerosis. This evidence concerns the gene NLRP3 and glomerulosclerosis.