title: [Expression and effect of hCGRP recombinant adeno-associated virus in primary cultured corporal cavernosum smooth muscle cells of the rat in vitro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the expression and effect of human calcitonin gene-related peptide (hCGRP) gene mediated by recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) in primary cultured corporal cavernosum smooth muscle cells of the rat and explore the possibility of using CGRP gene for gene therapy in erectile dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary cultured corporal cavernosum smooth muscle cells of the rat were randomly divided into 4 groups and infected with recombinant virus VssHGCMV-hCGRP, VssHGCMV, VssC-MV-GFP and the untreated, respectively. CGRP-like immunoreactivity was measured by protein dot blot assay in the 24 h-culture medium, and intracellular cAMP and cGMP levels in the cultured cells were also determined using radioimmunoassay to ascertain bioactivity of transduced CGRP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The exogenous gene was transferred into primary corporal cavernosum smooth muscle cells by VssHGCMV-hCGRP infection and efficiently expressed. Compared with the control group, intracellular cAMP level in the cell infected by VssHGCMV-hCGRP was significantly increased (48.7 +/- 1.1 nmol/L vs 7.8 +/- 1.4 nmol/L, P < 0.01), whereas cGMP level remained unchanged in two groups, and CGRP-like immunoreactivity was also detected in the culture medium infected by VssHGCMV- hCGRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The system of secretory expressing bioactive peptide rAAV mediated gene transfer may be used to express efficiently exogenous gene in corporal cavernosum smooth muscle cells and affect cAMP level in the corporal cavernosum smooth muscle cells of the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Xián Jiaotong University, Xián, Shaanxi 710061, China. xingjp-mr@vip.sina.com
authors.forename: Jun-ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Jian-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xian-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Shu-dong
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D000229:Dependovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010413:Penis / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000242:Cyclic AMP; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide