Insults to the heart induce both protective and damaging NF-κB-regulated responses. Cardiac myocytes are resistant to NF-κB activation relative to cardiac fibroblasts. NF-κB is predominantly in cis-Golgi bodies in cardiac myocytes but not fibroblasts. Even in virus-infected cardiac myocytes, NF-κB is predominantly in cis-Golgi bodies. Results demonstrate that cardiac NF-κB-dependent responses are cell type-specific.