title: Enhancement of gene transfer efficiency in the Bcap-37 cell line by             dimethyl sulphoxide and menthol.
abstract: Simple and efficient gene transfer into the nucleus would facilitate non-viral             gene delivery. One promising method of non-viral gene delivery is to apply penetration             enhancers. Chemicals, such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and menthol, may have             promise as non-toxic vehicles in improving gene transfer efficiency. In this study,             the cytotoxic effects of DMSO and menthol were evaluated using MTT assays. Gene             delivery efficiency in a human breast cancer cell line (Bcap-37) was investigated             by quantitative PCR, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Non-toxic concentrations             of DMSO (2%) and menthol (12.5 µM) enhanced the efficiency of liposome-mediated             gene delivery in Bcap-37 cells. Quantitative PCR results showed that growth hormone             (GH) mRNA expression in the post-menthol and pre-DMSO treatment groups was 10-fold             higher compared to that in the liposome group, while in the pre-menthol and post-DMSO             treatment groups, a 30-fold increase in GH mRNA expression was observed. Both             DMSO and menthol treatments increased green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression             efficiency as shown by fluorescence microscopy experiments. Compared to the liposome             group, the number of positive cells in the pre-menthol and post-DMSO treatment             groups was significantly increased by 15%. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis demonstrated             that there were significant differences among the DMSO-treated group, the menthol-treated             group and the normal group, which implied different effects of DMSO and menthol             treatments. In conclusion, both non-toxic and harmless DMSO (2%) and menthol (12.5 µM)             treatments improve gene transfer efficiency, while post-DMSO treatment may be             the most effective protocol in increasing transgene expression efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Biochemistry, Ministry                     of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095,                     P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Li Qi
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Qing Hua
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008610:Menthol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D019076:Transgenes / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008610:Menthol; D013006:Growth Hormone; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide