title: Adenoviral-mediated inhibition of connective tissue growth factor in Rat-2 cells.
abstract: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a profibrotic factor shown to induce extracellular matrix production and angiogenesis, two processes involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). In this study we tested the effect of a recombinant adenovirus encoding for a CTGF antisense oligonucleotide (rAdASO) on the levels of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) induced expression of CTGF in Rat-2 fibroblasts. Using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, there was a 2-fold increase in CTGF message induced by TGF-beta. Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses revealed a significant increase in CTGF protein level. This upregulation of CTGF by TGF-beta was inhibited by infection with rAdASO. These findings indicate that infection of the Rat-2 cells with rAdASO was effective in decreasing TGF-beta-induced CTGF expression. These results indicate that this viral vector might have therapeutic potential to control elevated CTGF levels that occur in DR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center, Room 2-94, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Mamdouh H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kedees
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Teitelman
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C526318:CCN2 protein, mouse; C526316:CCN2 protein, rat; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D055513:Connective Tissue Growth Factor