In unilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury (UIRI) mice, treatment with interlukin-8 (IL-8), the ligand of CXCR2, further aggravated β-catenin activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, tubular cell senescence and renal fibrosis, whereas knockdown of p16INK4A inhibited IL-8-induced these effects. Here, CDKN2A is linked to renal fibrosis.