title: Age-dependent modulation of NF-kappaB expression in rat adrenal gland.
abstract: The current studies were initiated to examine the expression and regulation of an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor, NF-kappa B, in rat adrenals during aging. NF- kappa B DNA-binding activity and expression of constituent proteins (Rel family of proteins and I kappa Bs) was measured in adrenal nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts from young mature (5 month) and old (24 month) Sprague-Dawley rats before and after treatment with LPS; the latter was used to further invoke oxidative stress. Administration of LPS to either young or old rats induced a dramatic activation of NF- kappa B DNA binding activity as assayed by EMSA. NF- kappa B hetero-dimers, RelA/NF- kappa B1 (p65/p50) accounted for the majority of proteins that bound to consensus NF- kappa B sequences in LPS-treated young and old animals. The intensity of DNA binding complexes was significantly reduced in old animals. The age-related decline in the activation of NF- kappa B could not be attributed to an alteration in the composition of constituent subunits or degradation of NF- kappa B inhibitory proteins (I kappa B alpha and I kappa B beta) but rather was due to selective down-regulation of RelA/p65 and NF- kappa B2/p52 proteins. No age-related or LPS-induced changes in the constitutively active transcription factors SP-1 and OCT-1 were detected. These data suggest that aberrancies in the activation of NF- kappa B DNA-binding activity may contribute to the excessive oxidative damage observed in adrenal tissue with aging and may adversely affect cellular processes crucial for intracellular cholesterol transport and steroid hormone production.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC, 182B), VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
authors.forename: Rajeshwari
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Medicherla
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leers-Sucheta
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azhar
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D019281:Dimerization; D015870:Gene Expression; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008025:Ligases / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C083487:I kappa B beta protein; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606206:Nfkbia protein, rat; D003840:Deoxycholic Acid; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D004247:DNA; D008025:Ligases; C028812:guanosine 3',5'-polyphosphate synthetases