The p65 subunit of NF-κB binds to PGC-1α, linking inflammation and metabolic disturbances in cardiac cells

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is a transcription factor induced by a wide range of stimuli, including hyperglycaemia and pro-inflammatory cytokines. It is associated with cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. It was previously reported that the NF-kappaB-mediated inhibition of proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha) might explain the shift in glucose metabolism during cardiac pathological processes induced by pro-inflammatory stimuli, although the specific mechanisms remain to be elucidated. We addressed the specific mechanisms by which exposure to tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) results in PGC-1alpha down-regulation in cardiac cells and, as a consequence, in the metabolic dysregulation that underlies heart dysfunction and failure.