Pro-apoptotic role of nuclear factor-κB in adriamycin-induced acute myocardial injury in rats

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is activated by a wide range of inducers and is able to mediate gene transcription. We investigated the role of NF-κB in adriamycin-induced myocardial injury in rats and its mechanism of action. A total of 30 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control, anthracycline antibiotic adriamycin (ADR) and ADR + pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). Myocardial apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay; myocardium p53 gene expression was examined by RT-PCR analysis; location and distribution of p53 was observed by immunohistochemical assay; myocardial expression of p53 protein was assessed by Western blot analysis and activity of NF-κB was evaluated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The binding activity of NF-κB, myocardial apoptotic index and expression of p53 increased significantly in the ADR groups. All of these changes induced by ADR were inhibited by PDTC. It was concluded that NF-κB activation may be pro-apoptotic through regulation of the expression of p53 in adriamycin-induced myocardial injury.