High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a kind of typical non-histone chromosomal protein (NHCP) existing in eukaryotic biological cells, and involves in the transcription, DNA repair, differentiation, occurrence and extracellular signal transduction. When released from the dead cells, it results in a series of inflammatory cascade reactions. Hepatic ischemia reperfusion is an essential step in the partial hepatic surgery and hepatic transplantation, and is the critical factor induced the inflammatory response, hepatic cells necrosis, non-function of transplanted hepatic and acute and chronic rejection reaction. There are some researches demonstrated that HMGB1 plays a vital role during the process of hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury, and it will become the new method preventing and treating this injury to research the main steps involved HMGB1 during the whole program. Recently medical researchers pay more and more attention on this field; the effect and relevant mechanism of HMGB1 have become the hot spot. This paper also focuses on these issues.