The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity and pulmonary artery pressure in the pulmonary artery endothelial cells of high pulmonary blood flow rat models. A total of 50 four-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: Surgery shunt group (Tn, n=15); surgery + pyrollidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) administration group (Ti, n=15); sham control group (Co, n=10) and negative control group (Cn, n=10). The 30 rats of the Ti and Tn groups underwent carotid artery-external jugular vein anastomosis; the 15 rats in the Ti group were injected with PDTC intraperitoneally 1 h prior to surgery for a two-week continuous infusion. After 12 weeks of feeding ad libitum, right ventricular systolic pressure and NF-κB activity in the pulmonary artery endothelial cells of the rats were measured. The NF-κB activity of the Tn group was significantly higher than that of the Cn group (P<0.01) and the NF-κB activity of the Ti group was lower than that of the Cn group (P<0.01); however, no significant difference was observed between the Co and Cn groups. The increased activity of NF-κB was an important factor in the pulmonary vasoconstriction and structural remodeling of rats with high pulmonary blood flow.
Keywords: nuclear factor κB; pulmonary vascular remodeling; pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate; vascular endothelial cells.