title: Follistatin allows efficient retroviral-mediated gene transfer into rat liver.
abstract: Retroviral vectors are widely used tools for gene therapy. However, in vivo gene transfer is only effective in dividing cells, which, in liver, requires a regenerative stimulus. Follistatin is effective in promoting liver regeneration after 90% and 70% hepatectomy in rats. We studied its efficacy on liver regeneration and retroviral-mediated gene delivery in 50% hepatectomized rats. When human recombinant follistatin was infused into the portal vein immediately after 50% hepatectomy, hepatocyte proliferation was significantly higher than in control 50% hepatectomized rats. A single injection of virus particles administered 23 h after follistatin infusion resulted in more than 20% gene transduction efficiency in hepatocytes compared to 3% in control rats. It is concluded that a single injection of follistatin induces onset of proliferation in 50% hepatectomized rats and allows efficient retroviral-mediated gene transfer to the liver.
authors.affiliation: INSERM EMI 00-20 and University Paris XI, Bicêtre Hospital, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Josephine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borgnon
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Djamouri
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lorand
authors.forename: Virginie Di
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loux
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pages
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Frédérique
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capron
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D038681:Follistatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008115:Liver Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D038681:Follistatin; D001616:beta-Galactosidase