Treatment of rats with the peroxisome proliferator ciprofibrate results in increased liver NF-kappa B activity

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) is an important stress-induced transcription factor in many cell types, including hepatocytes. Previous studies have shown that reactive oxygen species, including hydrogen peroxide, are potent activators of NF-kappa B. Peroxisome proliferators are a group of rodent chemical carcinogens that have been proposed to act by increasing reactive oxygen in the liver. These results led us to consider whether peroxisome proliferators would increase NF-kappa B activity in the liver, Here we demonstrate that rats fed diets containing the peroxisome proliferator ciprofibrate exhibit increased hepatic NF-kappa B DNA-binding activity, This observation suggests that NF-kappa B may contribute, in part, to peroxisome proliferator-mediated changes in the liver.