Objective: To study the protective effect of NF-κB decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) on endotoxin-induced liver injury in the rat and its mechanism.
Methods: Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group,endotoxin (LPS) group and NF-κB decoy ODNs group. Liver and serum samples were collected 24 h after operation. The NF-κB binding activity was detected with electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), histopathologic change of liver was examined by light microscope, and cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL. Liver enzyme (AST), TNF-α and IL-6 in serum were also detected.
Results: Compared to control group, in LPS group, NF-κB was dramatically increased induced apoptosis of large numbers of hepatocytes, and severe liver damage, the expression of AST, TNF-α and IL-6 were also significantly increased  (P＜0.01). However,compared with control group in NF-κB decoy ODNs group, the activation of  TNF-κB depressed, the hepatic histopathologic changes and apoptosis of hepatocytes were also relieved, and expression of  TNF-α and AST levels decreased (P<0.01). On the other hand, the expression of IL-6 was not significantly decreased by NF-κB decoy compared with LPS group (P＞0.05). 
Conclusions: NF-κB decoy strategy can efficiently inhibit the binding activity of NF-κB, and thus suppress the production of downstream cytokines, which may play a crucial role in protecting the liver from endotoxin-induced injury.