稳定表达促红细胞生或素的重组腺病毒的构建及其对大鼠的促红细胞生成作用

用EPO基因组基因构建了腺病毒质粒型载体psp1B/hEPO,该质粒含有以RSV-LTR为启动子的完整的EPO基因表达盒.单独转染CHO细胞,经暂态表达检测到EPO的表达。用psp1B/hEPO与腺病毒拯救型载体pBHG11共转染293细胞,获得了表达EPO的重组腺病毒AdhEPO.经Southern杂交证实AdhEPO中有EPO表达盒,ELISA检测到了EPO阳性表达.用5×108pfu的AdhEPO给大鼠作一次性肌肉注射,观察到了其促进大鼠红细胞生成的短期效应。在注射后第1,3,5,7,10d分别检测了大鼠的红细胞压积、血红蛋白含量和红细胞计数等指标,发现大鼠的红细胞数量显著提高。在第10d红细胞压积从46±4%上升至65±6%。证实了重组腺病毒AdhEPO具有潜在的临床应用价值,可用于贫血症的基因治疗。     

ANTI-TUMOR EFFECT OF INTRAVENOUS TNFα GENE DELIVERY NAKED PLASMID DNA USING A HYDRODYNAMICS-BASED PROCEDURE

High levels of foreign gene expression in mouse hepatocytes can be achieved by the rapid injection of a large volume of naked plasmid (pDNA) into animals via the tail vein, the so-called hydrodynamics-based procedure. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of hydrodynamics-based tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) transfer for tumor treatment, in which the naked pDNA encoding TNFα was administered into the tail vein following an intravenous injection of B16 melanoma cells. The mice treated with TNFα-expressing pDNA displayed a profound reduction in lung metastasis. These results suggest that the hydrodynamics-based transfer of naked pDNA is a convenient and efficient method of TNFα gene therapy against metastatic tumors.     

Anti-tumor effect of intravenous TNFalpha gene delivery naked plasmid DNA using a hydrodynamics-based procedure

High levels of foreign gene expression in mouse hepatocytes can be achieved by the rapid injection of a large volume of naked plasmid (pDNA) into animals via the tail vein, the so-called hydrodynamics-based procedure. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of hydrodynamics-based tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) transfer for tumor treatment, in which the naked pDNA encoding TNFalpha was administered into the tail vein following an intravenous injection of B16 melanoma cells. The mice treated with TNFalpha-expressing pDNA displayed a profound reduction in lung metastasis. These results suggest that the hydrodynamics-based transfer of naked pDNA is a convenient and efficient method of TNFalpha gene therapy against metastatic tumors.     

Gene transfer into adult rat spinal cord using naked plasmid DNA and ultrasound microbubbles

BACKGROUND: Although gene therapy might become a promising approach to treat spinal cord injury, the safety issue is a serious consideration in human gene therapy. Plasmid DNA transfer is safer than viral vectors, but the transfection efficiency is quite low. To overcome the problem, we applied the ultrasound microbubbles-mediated transfection method to the spinal cord in adult rats, since ultrasound microbubbles have been reported to be efficient to increase transfection efficiency in various tissues. METHODS: After exposing T9-10 spinal cord with a laminectomy, we injected a mixture of naked plasmid DNA and microbubbles into cerebrospinal fluid by lumbar puncture. Then, the T9-10 spinal cord was exposed to ultrasound. CONCLUSIONS: An ultrasound intensity of 0.4-0.5 W/cm2 significantly increased luciferase expression up to approximately 15-60-fold at the insonated level as compared to naked plasmid DNA alone. Luciferase activity could be detected at least up to 7 days after transfection, while the expression level was almost returned to undetectable level at 14 days after transfection. The transfected cells were mainly meningeal cells in the surface of insonated spinal cord. There was no obvious evidence of worsening of neurological deficits as compared to rats transfected with naked plasmid DNA alone or untransfected rats. Similarly, successful gene transfer was also achieved in the insonated T9-10 spinal cord after spinal cord injury. Overall, the present study demonstrated the feasibility of ultrasound microbubbles-mediated plasmid DNA transfer into the target level of the spinal cord.     

High volume hydrodynamic injection of plasmid DNA via the hepatic artery results in a high level of gene expression in rat hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine

BACKGROUND: Hydrodynamic injection of naked plasmid DNA (pDNA) via the tail vein is a safe and effective method of gene transfer to the liver. However, successful gene transfer has yet to be shown for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); therefore, we investigated the feasibility and efficacy of hydrodynamic injection via the tail vein and hepatic artery in a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC model in rats. METHODS: HCC was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by 100 ppm DEN in drinking water. pCMV-SPORT-beta-galactosidase (beta-gal, 400 microg) was injected (i) via the tail vein in a volume of 0.1 ml/g in 30 s or (ii) via the hepatic artery in a volume of 5 or 10 ml at 1 ml/s, either with or without temporary occlusion of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and portal vein (PV). The liver was harvested 24 h after administration, and beta-gal expression was evaluated with X-gal staining and measurement of enzymatic activity in tissue homogenates. RESULTS: Hydrodynamic injection via the tail vein achieved transgene expression only in non-cancerous tissue (tumor: 0.16 +/- 0.04%, non-tumor: 5.07 +/- 1.66%). Hydrodynamic injection via the hepatic artery was tolerated, but failed to produce efficient transgene expression in tumor and non-tumor cells. On the other hand, concomitant use of temporary IVC/PV occlusion with hydrodynamic injection via the hepatic artery dramatically increased transgene expression in cancer cells, but tumor-selective gene transfer was not achieved with this procedure (tumor: 7.38 +/- 3.66%, non-tumor: 7.77 +/- 1.06%). CONCLUSIONS: High-volume hydrodynamic injection of a pDNA solution via the hepatic artery with IVC/PV occlusion achieved a high level of gene expression in a HCC rat model. This gene transfer technique may have potential in clinical gene therapy for HCC.     

Kidney-targeted naked DNA transfer by retrograde injection into the renal vein in mice

We recently developed a novel kidney-targeted gene transfer technique in rats, using the retrograde renal vein injection of naked plasmid DNA. Many animal disease models are created in mice by transgenic or knockout technologies. However, it is much harder to perform renal vein injection in mice than in rats because they have a thin and short vein. Here we transferred the mouse interleukin (IL)-10 gene into mice by retrograde renal vein injection, using an IL-10 and immunoglobulin fusion protein (IL-10/Fc) (96-kDa) expression plasmid, pCAGGS-IL10/Fc. We observed a dose-response relationship between serum IL-10 levels and the amount of injected DNA. The serum IL-10 levels peaked at day 1 and then were sustained for at least 2 weeks. These results demonstrate that the kidney-targeted naked plasmid DNA transfer of mice by retrograde renal vein injection can be achieved, and the kidney serves as a depot organ for the production of large proteins.     

Expression of luciferase in selected organs following delivery of naked and formulated DNA to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) by different routes of administration

In the present work, the expression of luciferase in selected organs following administration of DNA delivered as naked, liposome-formulated or chitosan-formulated by different routes of administration (intramuscular, intraperitoneal and intravenous injection, immersion and anal intubation) was studied in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The different formulations and routes of administration both influenced in which organs luciferase was expressed and the magnitude of expression. The highest expression levels of luciferase in the head kidney and liver were found after an intraperitoneal injection of lipoplex 2. In the spleen, the highest levels were detected after injection of naked DNA (intraperitonal or intramuscular) and lipoplex 2 (intraperitoneal). Following intravenous injection, naked DNA gave higher expression levels in the organs than the formulated plasmids and immersion and anal intubation were not effective routes of delivery as no expression of luciferase could be detected in any of the organs tested. Additionally, PCR using a primer specific for a 600 bp region of the luciferase gene pcDNA3-luc was used to assess the distribution of the plasmid itself after intramuscular and intraperitoneal injection. Positive amplification was obtained in spleen, head kidney, liver and muscle at the injection site following injection of formulated plasmids, while only muscle tissue from the injection site was positive when naked DNA was used.     

Systemic administration of naked plasmid encoding HGF attenuates puromycin aminonucleoside-induced damage of murine glomerular podocytes

Podocyte injury is considered to play important roles in the pathogenesis of human glomerular disease. There is accumulating evidence suggesting that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) elicits preventive activity for glomerular cells in animal models of chronic renal diseases. In this study, we demonstrated that delivery of a naked plasmid vector encoding the human HGF gene into mice by a hydrodynamic-based in vivo gene transfection approach markedly reduced proteinuria and attenuated podocyte injury in a mouse model induced by puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) injection. Systemic administration by rapid injection via the tail vein of a naked plasmid containing HGF cDNA driven under a cytomegalovirus promoter (pCMV-HGF) produced a remarkable level of human HGF protein in the circulation. Tissue distribution studies suggested that the kidney expressed a high level of the HGF transgene. Meanwhile, compared with tubules and interstitium, a higher level of exogenous HGF protein was detected in the glomeruli. Administration of pCMV-HGF dramatically abated the urine albumin excretion and podocyte injury in PAN nephropathy in mice. Exogenous expression of HGF produced evidently beneficial effects, leading to restoration of Wilms' tumor-1 (WT1) and α-actinin-4 expression and attenuation of ultrastructural damage of the podocytes. In vitro, HGF not only restored WT1 and α-actinin-4 expression but also inhibited albumin leakage of podocytes incubated with PAN in a Transwell culture chamber. These results suggest that HGF might provide a novel strategy for amelioration of podocyte injury.     

Low-dose erythropoietin aggravates endotoxin-induced organ damage in conscious rats

Endotoxin shock can induce the production of several inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, leading to multiple organ dysfunction and death. Erythropoietin (EPO) has been found to interact with its receptor (EPO-R), expressed in a wide variety of non-hematopoietic tissues, to induce a range of pleiotropic cytoprotective actions. We investigated the effects of low doses of EPO (300 U/kg, intravenous administration) on the physiopathology and cytokine levels in endotoxin shock in conscious rats. Endotoxin shock was induced by intravenous injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (20 mg/kg) in conscious rats. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were continuously monitored for 48 h after LPS administration. Levels of biochemical and cytokine parameters, including glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cre), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) were measured at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 48 h after sepsis. Serum TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β level was measured at 1 h after sepsis. Endotoxin shock significantly increased blood GOT, GPT, BUN, Cre, LDH, CPK, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β levels, and HR, while it decreased MAP. EPO further increased the markers of organ injury (GOT, GPT, BUN, Cre, LDH, and CPK), inflammatory biomarkers (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) and did not affect MAP and HR after LPS. EPO disserved endotoxin shock-induced liver, kidney, lung, and small intestine damage in conscious rats. In conclusion, pre-treatment with low doses of EPO increased the release of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, along with aggravating endotoxin shock-induced markers of organ injury in conscious rats.     

The administration of naked plasmid DNA into the liver induces antitumor innate immunity in a murine liver metastasis model

BACKGROUND: Gene therapy is a promising strategy against advanced cancer; however, the safety of viral vectors and the effectiveness of non-viral vectors have not yet been established. Recently, a hydrodynamics-based procedure was reported to be an effective and safe method to deliver and transduce DNA into the liver. Herein, we propose a strategy for liver metastasis by a hydrodynamics-based procedure to deliver naked non-coding plasmid DNA (pDNA) into the liver as an immunocompetent organ. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice received a rapid intravenous (i.v.) injection of naked pDNA in a large volume of saline (0.1 ml/g body weight). The single administration of a naked non-coding pDNA by the hydrodynamics-based procedure before tumor cell inoculation strongly suppressed liver metastasis formation. However, the usual i.v. injection (200 microl/body) of the same dose of naked pDNA could not suppress liver metastasis formation. Following the methylation of CpG sequences within the pDNA using CpG methylase, injection of the methylated pDNA by the hydrodynamics-based procedure could not suppress liver metastasis formation. Gadolinium chloride pretreatment did not interfere with this antitumor effect, but anti-asialo GM1 antiserum treatment did. These findings indicated that natural killer (NK) cells, not Kupffer cells, were involved in this antitumor effect. The NK cytotoxic activities of liver mononuclear cells were strongly enhanced after receiving a naked pDNA by the hydrodynamics-based procedure. CONCLUSIONS: These observations suggest that unmethylated CpG motifs in pDNA stimulated immune cells, resulting in the activation of NK cells in the liver to suppress liver metastases in a murine model.     

帕金森病裸DNA法基因治疗的实验研究

采用体内裸DNA基因治疗帕金森病(PD)取得显著疗效.将酪氨酸羟比酶(TH)基冈表达质粒与Lipofectin形成的复合物立体定位注射于PD模型鼠纹状体,显著改善了PD鼠的不对付旋转行为.免疫组化证实神经细胞表达了外源TH.     

Gene therapy for rat renal anemia with implantation of erythropoietin-transgenic myoblasts

To investigate whether an erythropoietin (EPO) gene-based therapy could serve as an alternative to the repeated injection of rhEPO in treatment to renal anemia, the genetically modified myoblasts of rats, named Myo/ EPO, were implanted through intramuscular injection to model rats with renal anemia. The hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) of the rats increased from (92.5 ±3.0) g/L and 0.29±0.04 to the peak values of (103.8 ±5.0) g/L and 0. 32 ±0. 04 respectively 14 d after implantation, and sustained the pre-implantation level for 90 d. Otherwise, the control rats implanted with Myo/X, which carried the parent retroviral vector, gradually became severe in anemia. The PCR detection for hEPO cDNA in the rat muscle adjacent to injection sites indicated that the Myo/EPO cells survived for a long period in the muscle of rats. The results primarily demonstrate that myoblast gene transfer of EPO is effective for the treatment of rat renal anemia.     

Non-replicating Epstein-Barr virus-based plasmids extend gene expression and can improve gene therapy in vivo

To date, no gene transfer vector has produced prolonged gene expression following a single intravenous injection and then efficiently re-expressed the delivered gene following repeated systemic injection into immunocompetent hosts. To overcome these limitations, a gene therapy regimen using non-replicating Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-based expression plasmids was developed. One plasmid contains the FR (EBV family of repeats) sequence and the expressed gene. The other encodes Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1), but lacks FR. Although unable to replicate in mice, intravenous co-injection of EBV-based plasmids in cationic liposome-DNA complexes (CLDCs) substantially prolonged luciferase gene expression. The use of a two-vector system limited host exposure to the EBNA-1 gene product. Furthermore, this EBV-based vector system could be intravenously re-injected multiple times into immunocompetent mice without loss of transfection efficiency. Use of this vector system significantly improved the therapeutic efficacy of the biologically important human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor gene. Delivery of the human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor gene in EBV-based plasmids increased circulating white blood counts for at least 2 months following a single CLDC-based intravenous co-injection. Conversely, white blood counts were never elevated following injection of CLDCs lacking EBV-derived elements. Thus, this EBV-based plasmid vector system both markedly prolongs gene expression at therapeutic levels and efficiently and repeatedly re-transfects immunocompetent hosts. These properties of EBV-based plasmid vectors appear to be due, at least in part, to the documented abilities of the EBNA-1 protein both to retain FR-containing DNA intracellularly and within the nucleus and to block anti-EBNA-1 cytotoxic T cell responses.     

Hydrodynamics-based transfer of PCR-amplified DNA fragments into rat liver

A high level of plasmid DNA expression in rat liver can be achieved by the rapid injection of a large volume of a naked DNA solution into the tail vein, called the 'hydrodynamics-based procedure.' The preparation of PCR-amplified DNA fragments is easier than that of naked DNA. In this paper we evaluated the effects of expressing the erythropoietin (Epo) gene in the rat liver by injecting fCAGGS-Epo, an Epo-expressing PCR-amplified DNA fragment, via the tail vein. After injection of 5 pmol fCAGGS-Epo (10 microg) or pCAGGS-Epo (18.4 microg), plasmid DNA, the serum Epo levels peaked at week 1, then persisted for at least 12 weeks. Transgene-derived Epo secretion resulted in significant erythropoiesis. These results demonstrated that transfer of PCR-amplified DNA fragments into the rat liver via rapid tail vein injection can be achieved. This method may provide a useful means for studying the physiologic function of a putative gene.     

Gene therapy for rat renal anemia with implantation of erythropoietin-transgenic myoblasts

To investigate whether an erythropoietin (EPO) gene-based therapy could serve as an alternative to the repeated injection of rhEPO in treatment to renal anemia, the genetically modified myoblasts of rats, named Myo/ EPO, were implanted through intramuscular injection to model rats with renal anemia. The hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) of the rats increased from (92. 5±3.0) g/L and 0.29 ±0.04 to the peak values of (103.8 ±5.0) g/L and 0. 32 ±0. 04 respectively 14 d after implantation, and sustained the pre-implantation level for 90 d. Otherwise, the control rats implanted with Myo/X, which carried the parent retroviral vector, gradually became severe in anemia. The PCR detection for hEPO cDNA in the rat muscle adjacent to injection sites indicated that the Myo/EPO cells survived for a long period in the muscle of rats. The results primarily demonstrate that myoblast gene transfer of EPO is effective for the treatment of rat renal anemia.     

红细胞生成素基因在大鼠体内的表达及表达产物的生物学效应

红细胞生成素（ｅｒｙｔｈｒｏｐｏｉｅｔｉｎ,ＥＰＯ）是一种由胎儿肝脏和成人肾脏产生的多肽类生长因子,在体内的表达具有严格的组织特异性,因此,慢性肾病所引起的贫血常常难以得到有效的治疗．随着基因治疗技术的不断成熟与完善,尤其是近年一些实验室先后发现质粒...     

Low-volume jet injection for efficient nonviral in vivo gene transfer

The transfer of naked deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) represents an alternative to viral and liposomal gene transfer technologies for gene therapy applications. Various procedures are employed to deliver naked DNA into the desired cells or tissues in vitro and in vivo, such as by simple needle injection, particle bombardment, in vivo electroporation or jet injection. Among the various nonviral gene delivery technologies jet injection is gaining increasing acceptance because it allows gene transfer into different tissues with deeper penetration of the applied naked DNA. The versatile hand-held Swiss jet injector uses pressurized air to force small volumes of 3 to 10 μL of naked DNA into targeted tissues. The β-galactosidase (LacZ) reporter gene construct and tumor necrosis factor α gene-expressing vectors were successfully jet injected at a pressure of 3.0 bar into xenotransplanted human tumor models of colon carcinoma. Qualitative and quantitative expression analysis of jet injected tumor tissues revealed the efficient expression of these genes in the tumors. Using this Swiss jet-injector prototype repeated jet injections of low volumes (3–10 μL) into one target tissue can easily be performed. The key parameters of in vivo jet injection such as jet injection volume, pressure, jet penetration into the tumor tissue, DNA stability have been defined for optimized nonviral gene therapy. These studies demonstrate the applicability of the jet injection technology for the efficient and simultaneous in vivo gene transfer of two different plasmid DNAs into tumors. It can be employed for nonviral gene therapy of cancer using minimal amounts of naked DNA.     

人前胰岛素原基因裸质粒DNA肌肉注射可显著降低链脲佐菌素诱发糖尿病小鼠的血糖水平

通过基因治疗的方法补充胰岛素已用于实验性治疗胰岛素依赖型糖尿病(IDDM)。本研究构建了含有重组人前胰岛素原基因的棵质粒DNA载体(pCMV—IN),将其肌肉注射入链脲佐菌素(STZ)诱发的糖尿病C57小鼠体内,并辅以电穿孔方法,以获得在体胰岛素转基因治疗。该质粒载体表达的胰岛素mRNA,可通过RT—PCR方法在转基因局部的骨骼肌组织中检测到。在接受pCMV—IN注射的糖尿病小鼠中,血浆胰岛素水平显著升高,达到了未注射STZ的正常对照小鼠的水平,且胰岛素的表达可持续至少35d。pCMV—IN质粒注射转基因治疗显著降低了糖尿病小鼠在第7至35d的血糖水平,其下降幅度约6mmol／L;转基因治疗也显著降低了严重糖尿病小鼠的死亡率,其第6周时的死亡率由100％降为37％。结果表明,直接肌肉注射含人前胰岛素原基因裸质粒可获得胰岛素的有效表达,显著降低糖尿病小鼠的血糖水平并降低严重糖尿病小鼠的死亡率。裸质粒注射胰岛素转基因治疗有望成为IDDM的一种有效治疗手段。