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Gupta S, Sinha NR, Martin LM, Keele LM, Sinha PR, Rodier JT, Landreneau JR, Hesemann NP, Mohan RR. Long-Term Safety and Tolerability of BMP7 and HGF Gene Overexpression in Rabbit Cornea. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2021; 10:6. [PMID: 34383876 PMCID: PMC8362627 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.10.10.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Tissue-targeted localized BMP7+HGF genes delivered into the stroma via nanoparticle effectively treats corneal fibrosis and rehabilitates transparency in vivo without acute toxicity. This study evaluated the long-term safety and tolerability of BMP7+HGF nanomedicine for the eye in vivo. Methods One eye each of 36 rabbits received balanced salt solution (group 1, naïve; n = 12), naked vector with polyethylenimine-conjugated gold nanoparticles (PEI2-GNP; group 2, naked-vector; n = 12), or BMP7+HGF genes with PEI2-GNP (group 3, BMP7+HGF; n = 12) via a topical delivery technique. Safety and tolerability measurements were performed by clinical biomicroscopy in live rabbits at predetermined time intervals up to 7 months. Corneal tissues were collected at 2 months and 7 months after treatment and subjected to histology, immunofluorescence, and quantitative real-time PCR analyses. Results Clinical ophthalmic examinations and modified MacDonald-Shadduck scores showed no significant changes in corneal thickness (P = 0.3389), tear flow (P = 0.2121), intraocular pressure (P = 0.9958), epithelial abrasion, or ocular abnormality. Slit-lamp, stereo, confocal, and specular biomicroscopy showed no signs of blepharospasm chemosis, erythema, epiphora, abnormal ocular discharge, or changes in epithelium, stroma, and endothelium after BMP7+HGF therapy for up to 7 months, as compared with control groups. Throughout the 7-month period, no significant changes were recorded in endothelial density (P = 0.9581). Histological and molecular data were well corroborated with the subjective clinical analyses and showed no differences in the naïve, naked-vector, and BMP7+HGF groups. Conclusions Localized BMP7+HGF therapy is a safe, tolerable, and innovative modality for the treatment of corneal fibrosis. Translational Relevance Nanoparticle-mediated BMP7+HGF combination gene therapy has the potential to treat corneal fibrosis in vivo without short- or long-term toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suneel Gupta
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, USA.,One-Health Vision Research Program, Departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Nishant R Sinha
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, USA.,One-Health Vision Research Program, Departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Lynn M Martin
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, USA.,One-Health Vision Research Program, Departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Landon M Keele
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, USA.,One-Health Vision Research Program, Departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Prashant R Sinha
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, USA.,One-Health Vision Research Program, Departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Jason T Rodier
- Mason Eye Institute, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - James R Landreneau
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, USA.,Mason Eye Institute, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Nathan P Hesemann
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, USA.,Mason Eye Institute, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Rajiv R Mohan
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO, USA.,One-Health Vision Research Program, Departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.,Mason Eye Institute, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Kos S, Tesic N, Kamensek U, Blagus T, Cemazar M, Kranjc S, Lavrencak J, Sersa G. Improved Specificity of Gene Electrotransfer to Skin Using pDNA Under the Control of Collagen Tissue-Specific Promoter. J Membr Biol 2015; 248:919-28. [PMID: 25840832 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-015-9799-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In order to ensure safe, efficient and controlled gene delivery to skin, the improvement of delivery methods together with proper design of DNA is required. Non-viral delivery methods, such as gene electrotransfer, and the design of tissue-specific promoters are promising tools to ensure the safety of gene delivery to the skin. In the scope of our study, we evaluated a novel skin-specific plasmid DNA with collagen (COL) promoter, delivered to skin cells and skin tissue by gene electrotransfer. In vitro, we determined the specificity of the COL promoter in fibroblast cells. The specific expression under the control of COL promoter was obtained for the reporter gene DsRed as well as for therapeutic gene encoding cytokine IL-12. In vivo, the plasmid with COL promoter encoding the reporter gene DsRed was efficiently transfected to mouse skin. It resulted in the notable and controlled manner, however, in lower and shorter expression, compared to that obtained with ubiquitous promoter. The concentration of the IL-12 in the skin after the in vivo transfection of plasmid with COL promoter was in the same range as after the treatment in control conditions (injection of distilled water followed by the application of electric pulses). Furthermore, this gene delivery was local, restricted to the skin, without any evident systemic shedding of IL-12. Such specific targeting of skin cells, observed with tissue-specific COL promoter, would improve the effectiveness and safety of cutaneous gene therapies and DNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spela Kos
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloska 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Electrotransfection and lipofection show comparable efficiency for in vitro gene delivery of primary human myoblasts. J Membr Biol 2014; 248:273-83. [PMID: 25534347 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-014-9766-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Transfection of primary human myoblasts offers the possibility to study mechanisms that are important for muscle regeneration and gene therapy of muscle disease. Cultured human myoblasts were selected here because muscle cells still proliferate at this developmental stage, which might have several advantages in gene therapy. Gene therapy is one of the most sought-after tools in modern medicine. Its progress is, however, limited due to the lack of suitable gene transfer techniques. To obtain better insight into the transfection potential of the presently used techniques, two non-viral transfection methods--lipofection and electroporation--were compared. The parameters that can influence transfection efficiency and cell viability were systematically approached and compared. Cultured myoblasts were transfected with the pEGFP-N1 plasmid either using Lipofectamine 2000 or with electroporation. Various combinations for the preparation of the lipoplexes and the electroporation media, and for the pulsing protocols, were tested and compared. Transfection efficiency and cell viability were inversely proportional for both approaches. The appropriate ratio of Lipofectamine and plasmid DNA provides optimal conditions for lipofection, while for electroporation, RPMI medium and a pulsing protocol using eight pulses of 2 ms at E = 0.8 kV/cm proved to be the optimal combination. The transfection efficiencies for the optimal lipofection and optimal electrotransfection protocols were similar (32 vs. 32.5%, respectively). Both of these methods are effective for transfection of primary human myoblasts; however, electroporation might be advantageous for in vivo application to skeletal muscle.
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Satoh M, Nagasu H, Morita Y, Yamaguchi TP, Kanwar YS, Kashihara N. Klotho protects against mouse renal fibrosis by inhibiting Wnt signaling. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2012; 303:F1641-51. [PMID: 23034937 PMCID: PMC3532475 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00460.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2012] [Accepted: 09/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Augmented Wnt signaling has been implicated in many fibrotic diseases including obstructive nephropathy. Soluble form Klotho has been reported to function as a secreted Wnt antagonist. In this study, we tested whether Klotho protein could reduce renal fibrosis by inhibition of Wnt signaling. Transgenic mice that overexpressed Klotho, wild-type mice, and Klotho hetero mutant mice underwent unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). In some Klotho hetero mutant mice, Klotho-encoding plasmid was transferred into the skeletal muscle by electroporation. UUO induced activation of Wnt signaling in wild-type but less in Klotho transgenic mice. Enhanced tubulointerstitial fibrosis in wild-type mice was also attenuated in Klotho transgenic mice. In contrast, Wnt signaling and concomitant tubulointerstitial fibrosis were further augmented in Klotho hetero mutant mice after UUO compared with wild-type mice. In Klotho-encoding plasmid-transfected Klotho hetero mutant mice, however, Wnt signaling was markedly reduced accompanied by a decrease in extracellular matrix deposition after UUO. In vitro studies showed that stimulation of Wnt3a induced prolonged cell cycle arrest at G(2)/M phase, with a resultant increase in production of fibrogenic cytokines. Cotreatment with Klotho bypassed the G(2)/M arrest and reduced fibrogenic cytokine production. In conclusion, Klotho is a critical negative regulator of Wnt signaling and a suppressor of renal fibrosis in the obstructed kidney model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Satoh
- Dept. of Nephrology and Hypertension, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Okayama Japan.
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Abstract
Erythropoietin (Epo) is an essential hormone that binds and activates the Epo receptor (EpoR) resident on the surface of erythroid progenitor cells, thereby promoting erythropoiesis. Recombinant human erythropoietin has been used successfully for over 20 years to treat anemia in millions of patients. In addition to erythropoiesis, Epo has also been reported to have other effects, such as tissue protection and promotion of tumor cell growth or survival. This became of significant concern in 2003, when some clinical trials in cancer patients reported increased tumor progression and worse survival outcomes in patients treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). One of the potential mechanisms proffered to explain the observed safety issues was that functional EpoR was expressed in tumors and/or endothelial cells, and that ESAs directly stimulated tumor growth and/or antagonized tumor ablative therapies. Since then, numerous groups have performed further research evaluating this potential mechanism with conflicting data and conclusions. Here, we review the biology of endogenous Epo and EpoR expression and function in erythropoiesis, and evaluate the evidence pertaining to the expression of EpoR on normal nonhematopoietic and tumor cells.
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Hojman P, Brolin C, Gissel H, Brandt C, Zerahn B, Pedersen BK, Gehl J. Erythropoietin over-expression protects against diet-induced obesity in mice through increased fat oxidation in muscles. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5894. [PMID: 19521513 PMCID: PMC2690401 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2008] [Accepted: 05/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietin can be over-expressed in skeletal muscles by gene electrotransfer, resulting in 100-fold increase in serum EPO and significant increases in haemoglobin levels. Earlier studies have suggested that EPO improves several metabolic parameters when administered to chronically ill kidney patients. Thus we applied the EPO over-expression model to investigate the metabolic effect of EPO in vivo. At 12 weeks, EPO expression resulted in a 23% weight reduction (P<0.01) in EPO transfected obese mice; thus the mice weighed 21.9±0.8 g (control, normal diet,) 21.9±1.4 g (EPO, normal diet), 35.3±3.3 g (control, high-fat diet) and 28.8±2.6 g (EPO, high-fat diet). Correspondingly, DXA scanning revealed that this was due to a 28% reduction in adipose tissue mass. The decrease in adipose tissue mass was accompanied by a complete normalisation of fasting insulin levels and glucose tolerance in the high-fat fed mice. EPO expression also induced a 14% increase in muscle volume and a 25% increase in vascularisation of the EPO transfected muscle. Muscle force and stamina were not affected by EPO expression. PCR array analysis revealed that genes involved in lipid metabolism, thermogenesis and inflammation were increased in muscles in response to EPO expression, while genes involved in glucose metabolism were down-regulated. In addition, muscular fat oxidation was increased 1.8-fold in both the EPO transfected and contralateral muscles. In conclusion, we have shown that EPO when expressed in supra-physiological levels has substantial metabolic effects including protection against diet-induced obesity and normalisation of glucose sensitivity associated with a shift to increased fat metabolism in the muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernille Hojman
- Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
- * E-mail: (PH); (JG)
| | - Camilla Brolin
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Hanne Gissel
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Claus Brandt
- Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bo Zerahn
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Bente Klarlund Pedersen
- Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julie Gehl
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark
- * E-mail: (PH); (JG)
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Gene expression profiles in skeletal muscle after gene electrotransfer. BMC Mol Biol 2007; 8:56. [PMID: 17598924 PMCID: PMC1925113 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2199-8-56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2007] [Accepted: 06/29/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene transfer by electroporation (DNA electrotransfer) to muscle results in high level long term transgenic expression, showing great promise for treatment of e.g. protein deficiency syndromes. However little is known about the effects of DNA electrotransfer on muscle fibres. We have therefore investigated transcriptional changes through gene expression profile analyses, morphological changes by histological analysis, and physiological changes by force generation measurements. DNA electrotransfer was obtained using a combination of a short high voltage pulse (HV, 1000 V/cm, 100 mus) followed by a long low voltage pulse (LV, 100 V/cm, 400 ms); a pulse combination optimised for efficient and safe gene transfer. Muscles were transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and excised at 4 hours, 48 hours or 3 weeks after treatment. RESULTS Differentially expressed genes were investigated by microarray analysis, and descriptive statistics were performed to evaluate the effects of 1) electroporation, 2) DNA injection, and 3) time after treatment. The biological significance of the results was assessed by gene annotation and supervised cluster analysis.Generally, electroporation caused down-regulation of structural proteins e.g. sarcospan and catalytic enzymes. Injection of DNA induced down-regulation of intracellular transport proteins e.g. sentrin. The effects on muscle fibres were transient as the expression profiles 3 weeks after treatment were closely related with the control muscles. Most interestingly, no changes in the expression of proteins involved in inflammatory responses or muscle regeneration was detected, indicating limited muscle damage and regeneration. Histological analysis revealed structural changes with loss of cell integrity and striation pattern in some fibres after DNA+HV+LV treatment, while HV+LV pulses alone showed preservation of cell integrity. No difference in the force generation capacity was observed in the muscles 2 weeks after DNA electrotransfer. CONCLUSION The small and transient changes found in the gene expression profiles are of great importance, as this demonstrates that DNA electrotransfer is safe with minor effects on the muscle host cells. These findings are essential for introducing the DNA electrotransfer to muscle for clinical use. Indeed the HV+LV pulse combination used has been optimised to ensure highly efficient and safe DNA electrotransfer.
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Gasiorowski JZ, Dean DA. Postmitotic nuclear retention of episomal plasmids is altered by DNA labeling and detection methods. Mol Ther 2005; 12:460-7. [PMID: 15978873 PMCID: PMC4349329 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2005.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2005] [Revised: 04/27/2005] [Accepted: 05/02/2005] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
One often overlooked aspect of nonviral gene therapy is the maintenance and localization of plasmids within a transfected cell. In this study we have quantified the nuclear retention of plasmids within microinjected cells after a single round of cell division. We employed several commercially available reagents to label plasmids with fluorophores for our microinjection tracking experiments. Interestingly, plasmids labeled with different techniques produced drastically different results. Naked plasmids microinjected directly into nuclei and later detected by in situ hybridization were found almost exclusively within the nuclei of the daughter cells after mitosis and were partitioned between the daughter nuclei with a normal, Gaussian distribution. Identical results were obtained with plasmids labeled with a fluorescent peptide nucleic acid. However, when plasmids were labeled with several commercially available fluorescent DNA labeling kits that randomly attach fluorophores to the entire plasmid and injected into HeLa cell nuclei, the modified plasmids were excluded from daughter nuclei after cell division. Taken together, these results suggest that naked, unmodified plasmids are retained in the nucleus following cell division and likely continue to express in the daughter cells. Our results demonstrate the significant alterations in episome localization that the labeling technique itself can have on plasmid trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David A. Dean
- To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. Fax: +1 312 908 4650.
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Bertrand A, Ngô-Muller V, Hentzen D, Concordet JP, Daegelen D, Tuil D. Muscle electrotransfer as a tool for studying muscle fiber-specific and nerve-dependent activity of promoters. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2003; 285:C1071-81. [PMID: 12839830 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00104.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Muscle electrotransfer has recently become a promising tool for efficient delivery of plasmids and transgene expression in skeletal muscle. This technology has been mainly applied to use of muscle as a bioreactor for production of therapeutic proteins. However, it remains to be determined whether muscle electrotransfer may also be accurately used as an alternative tool to transgenesis for studying aspects of muscle-specific gene control that must be explored in fully mature muscle fibers in vivo, such as fiber specificity and nerve dependence. It was also not known to what extent the initial electrical stimulations alter muscle physiology and gene expression. Therefore, optimized conditions of skeletal muscle electroporation were first tested for their effects on muscles of transgenic mice harboring a pM310-CAT transgene in which the CAT reporter gene was under control of the fast IIB fiber-specific and nerve-dependent aldolase A pM promoter. Surprisingly, electrostimulation led to a drastic but transient shutdown of pM310-CAT transgene expression concomitant with very transient activation of MyoD and, mostly, with activation of myogenin, suggesting profound alterations in transcriptional status of the electroporated muscle. Return to a normal transcriptional state was observed 7-10 days after electroporation. Therefore, we investigated whether a reporter construct placed under control of pM could exhibit fiber-specific expression 10 days after electrotransfer in either fast tibialis anterior or slow soleus muscle. We show that not only fiber specificity, but also nerve dependence, of a pM-driven construct can be reproduced. However, after electrotransfer, pM displayed a less tight control than previously observed for the same promoter when integrated in a chromatin context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Bertrand
- INSERM U567, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 8104, Institut Cochin, Université René Descartes Paris V, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris, France
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Khan AS, Fiorotto ML, Cummings KK, Pope MA, Brown PA, Draghia-Akli R. Maternal GHRH plasmid administration changes pituitary cell lineage and improves progeny growth of pigs. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2003; 285:E224-31. [PMID: 12670834 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00050.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that administration of a myogenic plasmid that encodes a protease-resistant growth hormone-releasing hormone (HV-GHRH) to pregnant rat dams augmented long-term growth in first-generation progeny. In the present study, gilts were injected intra-muscularly at day 85 of gestation with 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, or 5 mg of the HV-GHRH-expressing plasmid and were then electroporated. Piglets were weighed and bled periodically from birth to 100 kg. Piglets from gilts treated with 1 and 5 mg of HV-GHRH plasmid were larger at birth and weaning compared with controls. These two groups reached 100 kg 9 days earlier than the other groups. GHRH levels were increased at birth in piglets from treated gilts. IGF-I levels were significantly increased in the 5-mg group beginning at 21 days of age compared with controls. Pituitaries from the 5-mg group contained a significantly increased number of somatotrophs and lactotrophs from birth to 100 kg. This study confirms that enhanced maternal GHRH production results in intergenerational growth augmentation and that the magnitude of the response is dose dependent. The similarity of the response across species suggests that the effect is likely exerted as a fundamental component of gestational and developmental physiology.
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Yamamoto M, Kobayashi Y, Li M, Niwa H, Mitsuma N, Ito Y, Muramatsu T, Sobue G. In vivo gene electroporation of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) into skeletal muscle of SOD1 mutant mice. Neurochem Res 2001; 26:1201-7. [PMID: 11874201 DOI: 10.1023/a:1013959121424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Motor neurons degenerate with intracellular vacuolar change and eventually disappear in spinal cords of SOD1 mutant mice, resembling human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The GDNF gene was electroporatically transferred into the leg muscles of SOD1 mutant mice and expressed in muscle cells. This gene therapy with GDNF delayed the deterioration of motor performance, being retrogradely transported into spinal motor neurons. However, the number of the motor neurons and survival of the mutant mice were not improved by GDNF treatment. These results indicate that in vivo gene electroporation of GDNF into muscles could be an appropriate therapeutic approach to ameliorate an early dysfunction of motor neurons in SOD1 mutant mice, but further improvement is needed to use this gene transfer as an effective treatment of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Yamamoto
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
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