title: Feasibility of baculovirus-mediated reporter gene delivery for efficient monitoring of islet transplantation in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to explore the feasibility of baculovirus vector-mediated sodium iodide symporter (NIS) gene delivery to monitor islet transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baculovirus vectors expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) or NIS (Bac-GFP and Bac-NIS) were established using the Bac-to-Bac baculovirus expression system. The GFP expression of Bac-GFP-infected rat islets was observed in vitro by fluorescence microscopy. Iodine uptake and inhibition of iodine uptake by NaClO4 in Bac-NIS-infected islets were dynamically monitored in vitro. Bac-GFP- or Bac-NIS-infected islets were implanted into the left axillary cavity of NOD-SCID mice, and fluorescence imaging and (125)I NanoSPECT/CT imaging were subsequently performed in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bac-GFP efficiently infected rat islets (over 95% infected at MOI=40), and the expression of GFP lasted approximately two weeks. NaClO4 could inhibit iodine uptake by Bac-NIS-infected islets. In vivo imaging revealed that the fluorescence intensity of the transplant sites in Bac-GFP-infected groups was significantly higher than in the non-infected group. Grafts could be clearly observed by (125)I NanoSPECT/CT imaging for up to 8 h.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baculovirus vectors are powerful vehicles for studying rat islets in gene delivery. It is feasible to use a baculovirus vector to delivery an NIS gene for non-invasive monitoring transplanted islets in vivo by the expression of the target gene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Haifei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Jingyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China. Electronic address: zhang_yifan@126.com.
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D001692:Biological Transport; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics*; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D007455:Iodine / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D027981:Symporters / Q000235:genetics; D014022:Tissue Survival; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014161:Transduction, Genetic / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007455:Iodine; D027981:Symporters; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters
keywords: Baculovirus; Islet; Molecular imaging; Sodium iodine symporter; Transplantation