Figure 5.
Inhibition of NF-κB by induction of IκBSR protects primary cortical neurons against camptothecin-induced cell death. A, B, Primary cortical neurons were cotransfected with β-gal+ empty pcDNA3 vector (βGal) or β-gal+IκBSR expressing pcDNA3 (βGal+IκBSR) and treated with or without camptothecin (campto). Aa, Cultured cortical neurons were immunostained by anti-β-gal antibody (as described in Materials and Methods). Ab, Nuclei were stained with Hoechst, a nuclear-specific fluorescent dye. Ac, Merged micrograph of a and b. Condensed or fragmented nuclei were scored as dead (shown by thin arrow) versus intact nuclei (shown by thick arrow). B, Quantitation of survival assay among indicated groups of cotransfected primary cortical neurons after 14 hr of treatment with camptothecin. C, Identical experiment as in A and B with the exception that IκBSR was expressed via recombinant adenovirus. GFP, Green fluorescent protein; IκB, GFP-tagged IκBSR. Each data point is the mean ± SEM of three independent cultures. *p < 0.05 (t test).