title: In vivo US monitoring of catheter-based vascular delivery of gene microspheres in pigs: feasibility.
abstract: In this study, the authors tested the feasibility of using ultrasonography (US) to monitor catheter-based vascular gene microsphere delivery. Polymeric biodegradable microspheres (mean diameter, 5 microm) were prepared by using a double-emulsion technique to encapsulate DNA-plasmid-encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) genes. With use of gene-delivery catheters, GFP microspheres were locally delivered into the left femoral arterial walls of six pigs; the contralateral arteries were not infused with microspheres and thus served as negative control vessels. The delivery procedures were monitored with high-frequency (8-15-MHz) transducer US. The effectiveness of monitoring with US was compared with the effectiveness of monitoring with immunohistochemical anti-GFP staining. A highly echogenic "star burst" sign around the entire vessel wall was seen at US and correlated with immunohistochemical findings that showed the destination of the gene microspheres. Study results demonstrate the potential of US for monitoring catheter-based vascular gene microsphere delivery in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave, Traylor Bldg, Rm 330, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Yuesong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Visage
authors.forename: Hunter H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeJong
authors.forename: Bensheng
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Danming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kam W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Ulrike M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Hamper
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008863:Microspheres; D010957:Plasmids; D013552:Swine; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins