title: NBD peptides protect against ischemia reperfusion after orthotopic liver transplantation in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  NBD (NEMO binding domain) peptides could selectively inhibit the inflammation induced NF-κB activity, while sparing the protective functions of basal NF-κB activity. The aim of this study was to determine whether NBD peptides inhibited the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) during liver transplant ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), without affecting its basal function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were performed orthotropic liver transplantation according to the Kamada technique. Donors were given NBD peptides (8 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) 2 h before surgery (n = 24) and the controls were treated with the same volume of physiologic saline (n = 24). An additional 16 animals in normal condition (did not undergo any surgery) were also divided into two groups and given the same treatment as above to assess the effect of NBD peptides on basal function. We analyzed levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), IKK (IκB kinase) complex phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, NF-κB transcriptional activity, apoptosis, and performed a morphologic study of liver tissues at 3, 6, and 24 h after portal vein reperfusion and in normal condition (n = 8).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pretreatment with NBD peptides significantly improved liver function, attenuating liver parenchymal cell damage, apoptosis by down-regulating TNF-α level, inhibiting IKK complex phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, and NF-κB transcriptional activity, but had no effect in normal condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NBD peptides attenuated hepatic IRI by preventing NF-κB activation, without affecting basal NF-κB activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Xiang
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Jian-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zuo-Jin
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Chang-An
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; C491967:Elp1 protein, rat; C520609:Ikbkg protein, rat; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D010455:Peptides; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D051550:I-kappa B Kinase