FIG. 8.

Inhibition of NF-κB or p53 could depress H24R4-induced kidney tubular epithelial cell damage, but had no influence on the expression of Cx32. HK-2 cells were incubated with SN50 (a selective inhibitor of NF-κB, 20 μM) for 24 h or PFT-α (a selective inhibitor of p53, 10 μM) for 48 h before subjected to H24R4 treatment. (A–C) Effects of SN50 on HK-2 cell growth, LDH release, and apoptotic rate. (D–F) Effects of PFT-α on HK-2 cell growth, relative LDH release, and apoptotic rate. (G, H) Expression of Cx32, p-p65 and p53 and mitochondrial apoptosis-related protein, including PUMA, cytochrome-C, Apaf-1, and caspase-3, was detected by Western blot after H24R4 in HK-2 cells. (I) Expression of p-p65 and p53 was costained using IF (p-p65 was stained in green and p53 was stained in red, scale bar 50 μm). Data are presented as mean ± SE (n = 4). *p < 0.05 compared with control group; ^#p < 0.05 versus H24R4 group. PFT-α, pifithrin-α. Color images are available online.