title: Gene expression and antitumor effect following im electroporation delivery of human interferon alpha 2 gene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the gene expression and antitumor effect following im electroporation delivery of human interferon alpha 2 (hIFN-alpha 2) gene.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pcD2/hIFN-alpha 2 was injected into the middle of the quadriceps muscle of female BALB/c mice or the leukemia-bearing female BALB/c nude mice, and then electroporation was given to the injection site. Optimal electrical parameters and the efficiency of gene transfer was studied with hIFN-alpha 2 ELISA kit. The HL-60 tumor model in BALB/c nude mice was used to investigate therapeutic effects of im electroporation delivery of pcD2/hIFN-alpha 2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The optimal conditions for the electric pulses were as follows: voltage at 200 V/cm; pulse duration at 40 ms per pulse; number of pulse at 6 pulses and frequency at 1 Hz. Under optimal conditions, the serum hIFN-alpha 2 levels in electroporation group (160 microg/L+/-31 microg/L) were 45-fold higher than those of nonelectroporation group (3.6 microg/L+/-1.6 microg/L, P<0.01). The growth of leukemia was inhibited more obviously and the survival time of the leukemia-bearing nude mice was prolonged after im electroporation delivery of pcD2/hIFN-alpha 2 100 microg or 200 microg.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electroporation was an efficient method for the delivery of plasmid DNA and im electroporation delivery of pcD2/hIFN-alpha 2 was effective in treating leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardivascular Basic Research, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Fan
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Shu-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Cai-Ke
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Wei-Gu
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yan-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Kuang-Hueih
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018274:Electroporation; D005260:Female; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D018922:HL-60 Cells; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000628:therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha