Methodological approaches to in vitro evaluation of transcription activity of nuclear factor kappa B

Transcription activity of NF-[kappa]B in sensory neurons was analyzed in vitro using classical immunocytochemical methods and transgenic technologies. Activation of NF-[kappa]B in NIH3T3 cells and in murine sensory neurons after in vitro stimulation with TNF-[alpha] was demonstrated by the immunocytochemical method; however, the expression of the reporter NF-[kappa]B/LacZ transgene was detected only after addition of histon deacetylase inhibitor. Hence, formally contradictory conclusions from the results of immunocytochemical analysis and reporter transgene expression were in line with the hypothesis on epigenetic repression of NF-[kappa]B activity in sensory neurons mediated by histon deacetylases. Key Words: neuron; NF-[kappa]B transcription factor; reporter gene; histon deacetylases