NF-κB activation is required for the development of cardiac hypertrophy in vivo

Abstract

In the present study, we examined whether NF-κB activation is required for cardiac hypertrophy in vivo. Cardiac hypertrophy in rats was induced by aortic banding for 1, 3, and 5 days and 1–6 wk, and age-matched sham-operated rats served as controls. In a separate group of rats, an IκB-α dominant negative mutant (IκB-αM), a superrepressor of NF-κB activation, or pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC), an antioxidant that can inhibit NF-κB activation, was administered to aortic-banded rats for 3 wk. The heart weight-to-body weight ratio was significantly increased at 5 days after aortic banding, peaked at 4 wk, and remained elevated at 6 wk compared with age-matched sham controls. Atrial natriuretic peptide and brain natriuretic peptide mRNA expressions were significantly increased after 1 wk of aortic banding, reached a maximum between 2 and 3 wk, and remained increased at 6 wk compared with age-matched sham controls. NF-κB activity was significantly increased at 1 day, reached a peak at 3 wk, and remained elevated at 6 wk, and IKK-β activity was significantly increased at 1 day, peaked at 5 days, and then decreased but remained elevated at 6 wk after aortic banding compared with age-matched sham controls. Inhibiting NF-κB activation in vivo by cardiac transfection of IκB-αM or by PDTC treatment significantly attenuated the development of cardiac hypertrophy in vivo with a concomitant decrease in NF-κB activity. Our results suggest that NF-κB activation is required for the development of cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and that NF-κB could be an important target for inhibiting the development of cardiac hypertrophy in vivo.