Effect of nuclear factor-kappa B on pulmonary oxygen toxicity in rats

Abstract

Objective To investigate effects of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) on pulmonary oxygen toxicity in rats. Methods Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups; normal control group; 2, 6 and 10 h of 230κPa hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) exposure groups. Pathological change, the contents of NF-κB and TNF-αin lung tissue were observed. Results (1) Inflammation of lung was found after 6 h of HBO oxygen exposure and aggravated after 10 h of HBO exposure. (2) The contents of NF-κB P65 in lung tissue nucleus increased significantly after 2 h and reached the peak value after 6 h of HBO exposure. It declined after 10 h of HBO exposure but was still higher than the content of normal control group. (3) The expression TNF-αmRNA in lung tissue and content of TNF-αin lung homogenate increased significantly after 6 h and continued to increase after 10 h of HBO exposure. Conclusions HBO may activate NF-κB to elevate expression of TNF-a, which may lead to oxygen toxicity lung injury. Key words: Pulmonary oxygen toxicity; Hyperbaric oxygen; NF-κB; TNF-α