title: Experimental research on treatment of injured facial nerves induced by hepatocyte growth factor mediated by ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction.
abstract: The purpose of our study was to explore the regeneration effect of the ultrasound (US)-targeted microbubble destruction-mediated eukaryotic coexpression vector (pIRES2-enhanced green fluorescent protein [EGFP]/hepatocyte growth factor [HGF]) with EGFP and HGF gene system on facial nerve injury in rats. Forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups after the models of facial nerve injury were established: A, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) group; B, HGF and microbubble (HGF + MB) group; C, HGF and US (HGF + US) group; and D, HGF + US + microbubble (HGF + MB/US) group. Gene and protein levels of HGF were detected by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. The expression of pEGFP in facial nerve trunks was examined by laser scanning confocal microscope; HGF gene and protein expression were significantly higher in D group compared with those of the other groups (P < 0.05). The expression of pEGFP was the strongest in D group (P < 0.05). These data indicate that US-targeted microbubble destruction effectively transfects the HGF gene into target tissues and has a significant effect on an injured facial nerve, thus providing a new strategy for gene therapy in facial nerve injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Ya-ning
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Wen-long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-gang
authors.initials: ZG
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020220:Facial Nerve Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D015870:Gene Expression; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045423:Microbubbles; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D014465:Ultrasonics
chemical_list: C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor