Increased activity of nuclear factor-κB participates in cardiovascular remodeling induced by chronic inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis in rats

Background - Chronic inhibition of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthesis by the administration of N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) to rats induces early vascular inflammatory changes [monocyte infiltration into coronary vessels, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression] as well as subsequent arteriosclerosis (medial thickening and perivascular fibrosis) and cardiac fibrosis. However, no direct evidence for the importance of NF-κB in this process is known. Methods and Results - We examined the effect of a cis element decoy strategy to address the functional importance of NF-κB in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular remodeling. We found here that in vivo transfection of cis element decoy oligodeoxynucleotides against NF-κB to hearts prevented the L-NAME - induced early inflammation and subsequent coronary vascular medial thickening. In contrast, NF-κB decoy oligodeoxynucleotide transfection did not decrease the development of fibrosis, the expression of transforming growth factor-β₁ mRNA, or systolic pressure overload induced by L-NAME administration. Conclusions - The NF-κB system participates importantly in the development of early vascular inflammation and subsequent medial thickening but not in fibrogenesis in this model. The present study may provide a new aspect of how endothelium-derived NO contributes to anti-inflammatory and/or antiarteriosclerotic properties of the vascular endothelium in vivo.