title: Total vascular exclusion safely facilitates liver specific gene transfer by the HVJ (sendai virus)-liposome method in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most virus mediated transfection systems are efficient; however, their highly immunogenic properties do tend to cause clinical problems. HVJ-liposome vector is a hybrid vector consisting of liposome and inactivated sendai virus (hemagglutinating virus of Japan HVJ), which has been reported to be have a low immunogenicity, while it can also be repeatedly administered. To enhance the transfection efficiency, especially in the liver, we investigated the efficacy of total vascular exclusion (TVE) during the portal vein injection (PVI) of the vectors.
  
  
  METHODS
  beta-galactosidase and luciferase expression were used as reporter genes. Wistar rats were injected with HVJ-liposome through PVI without TVE (PVI group, n = 10) or PVI with TVE (PVI + TVE group, n = 10). The control rats were infused with equal volumes of saline through the portal vein (control group n = 12). The transfection efficiencies were assessed by beta-galactosidase staining and a luciferase assay. Biochemical and histological analyses were performed to evaluate the tissue toxicity after gene transfer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reporter genes expression in the liver dramatically increased after PVI + TVE in comparison to after PVI alone (1.2 x 10(5)versus 1.5 x 10(4) RLU/mg protein, P < 0.05 according to a luciferase assay). Notably, the extrahepatic "leaky" transgene expression could be minimized by PVI + TVE, whereas the general condition remained unchanged according to both the biochemical parameters and histological findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present data indicate that PVI + TVE may thus facilitate the liver-specific gene delivery using the HVJ-liposome method and this modality might also be applicable to other gene transfer systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation and Digestive Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan. yujo-ngs@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yujo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawashita
authors.forename: Hikaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohtsuru
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Yasufumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanematsu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D007700:Kinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D029082:Sendai virus / Q000235:genetics*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008156:Luciferases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase