The role of nuclear factor-kappaB in rats of radiocontrast-media-induced nephropathy.

This study was undertaken to examine the possible role of the DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) in rat of radiocontrast-media-induced nephropathy (RCIN) and to explore the characteristic of RCIN in rats and the role of NF-kappaB in its occurrence. Forty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into Groups A-D. Rats of Groups A and B were intravenously injected with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (10 mg/kg) and indomethacin (10 mg/kg), respectively. Rats of Groups C and D were intravenously injected with 1-M phosphate buffer (PH = 8.4 3 mL/kg) and normal saline (NS 2 mL/kg), respectively. After 30 min, Groups A and D were injected with NS (8 mL/kg) and Groups B and C were injected with diatrizoate (DTZ 8 mL/kg). After injected contrast media (CM) for 6 h, the serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen of rat in Group B increased sharply as compared with Groups A, C, and D. After 48 h, the data recovered to 49.28 +/- 8.81 mumol/L and 6.72 +/- 2.75 mmol/L, respectively. Vacuolization of the tubule epithelial cells of the kidney was observed in Group A. Especially, these pathological changes were most obvious in outer medulla. Contrast to group A, the DNA-binding activity of NF-kappaB in rat kidney of Group B reached a peak at the 6th h and recovered to the normal level after the 48th h. CM mainly damages renal tubular-interstitial, which appears the earliest and most serious in the outer medulla. Activation of NF-kappaB of renal may be one of the mechanisms of RCIN occurrence.