title: Relationships between the physicochemical properties of an amphiphilic triblock copolymers/DNA complexes and their intramuscular transfection efficiency.
abstract: Poly(ethyleneoxide)-poly(propyleneoxide)-poly(ethyleneoxide) triblock copolymer (PEO-PPO-PEO) based plasmid delivery systems are increasingly drawing attention in the field of nonviral gene transfer because of their proven in vivo transfection capability. They result from the simple association of DNA molecules with uncharged polymers. We examined the physicochemical properties of PEO-PPO-PEO/DNA mixtures, in which the PEO-PPO-PEO is Lutrol (PEO75-PPO30-PEO75), formulated under various conditions. We found that interactions between PEO-PPO-PEO and DNA are mediated by the central hydrophobic block within the block copolymer. Dynamic light scattering and cryo-electron microscopy showed that the mean diameter of transfecting particles as well as their stability depended on the PEO-PPO-PEO/DNA ratio and on the ionic composition of the formulating medium. The most active formulation promoting a good tissue-distribution and an optimal transfection was characterized by a reduced electrophoretic mobility, a mean hydrodynamic diameter of approximately 250-300 nm and by a conserved B-DNA form as shown by circular dichroism studies. Our study also revealed that the stability of these formulations strongly depended on a concentration balance between the DNA and the PEO-PPO-PEO, over which the DNA conformation was modified, micron-sized particles were generated, and the transgene expression was declined. We showed that the physicochemical properties of PEO-PPO-PEO/DNA formulations directly impact the level of gene expression in transfected muscles.
authors.affiliation: L'Institut du Thorax, INSERM U533, Faculté de Médecine, 44000 Nantes, France. bellomb@medicine.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Mahajoub
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bello-Roufaï
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pitard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D004247:DNA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: C506200:Lutrol; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D004247:DNA