Detection of Nuclear Factor-κB and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in the Lungs of Pigs Naturally Infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae

Abstract

Activated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were detected immunohistochemically in pleuropneumonic lungs from 20 pigs naturally infected with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. NF-κB was detected mainly in nuclei of inflammatory cells, confirming its activation. Intense immunolabelling for NF-κB and iNOS was seen within the lung lesions, but labelling was minimal in unaffected portions of the lung of infected pigs and in normal lung from uninfected (control) pigs. Examination of serial sections from the 20 infected lung samples demonstrated a close association between NF-κB and iNOS. This suggests that NF-κB plays a key role in triggering the activation of iNOS in porcine pleuropneumonia.