Ultrasound-contrast agent mediated naked gene delivery in the peritoneal cavity of adult rat.

Gene transfer into the peritoneal cavity by nonviral methods may provide an effective therapeutic approach for peritoneal diseases. Herein, we investigated the feasibility and the effectiveness of ultrasound-microbubble-mediated delivery of naked plasmid DNA into the peritoneal cavity in rats. Following the intraperitoneal or the intravenous administration of a mixture of plasmid DNA (100 microg) and ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles, an ultrasound transducer was applied on the abdominal wall. The reporter pTRE plasmid encoding Smad7 was used to evaluate transfection efficiency. Smad7 expression was induced by doxycycline in drinking water. We detected less than 10% apoptotic cells and no inflammatory reaction in peritoneal tissues following the ultrasound-microbubble-mediated transfection. More importantly, the insonation significantly improved the transfection efficiency in peritoneal tissues. The transfection efficiency by intraperitoneal delivery route was higher than the intravenous route. The reporter gene, pTRE-Smad7, was readily detected in the parietal peritoneum, mesentery, greater omentum and adipose tissue. The peak of transgene expression occurred 2 days after transfection and the transgene expression diminished in a time-dependent manner thereafter. Overall, the effectiveness and simplicity of the ultrasound-microbubble-mediated system may provide a promising nonviral means for improving gene delivery for treating peritoneal diseases in vivo.

Modulation of intra-pulmonary TGF-beta expression by mycophenolate mofetil in lupus prone MRL/lpr mice.

We investigated the expression profile of inflammatory cytokines in the lung of lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice and evaluated the therapeutic potential of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in reducing pulmonary cytokines in active lupus. Eight-week old female MRL/lpr mice (n = 20) were treated with MMF in vehicle by oral gavage. Disease control MRL/lpr mice (n = 30) or normal control MRL mice (n = 20) received vehicle alone. The mice were sacrificed after eight or 12 weeks of treatment. Gene expression and protein synthesis of IL-1beta, MCP-1 and TGF-beta1 in lung tissues were determined. We found an increase in the gene expression of IL-1beta, MCP-1 and TGF-beta1 in lung tissues of untreated MRL/lpr mice compared with MRL mice at either 16 weeks or 20 weeks of age. MMF treatment significantly prolonged the survival of MRL/lpr mice, down-regulated the gene expression of IL-1beta, MCP-1 and TGF-beta1 in lung tissues at the end of eight or 12 weeks of treatment. Protein synthesis of TGF-beta1 was decreased following eight weeks of MMF treatment. We conclude that MMF treatment can reduce the TGF-beta1 gene expression and protein synthesis in lung tissues of lupus-prone mice. Our findings provide experimental data suggesting a beneficial potential of MMF therapy in pulmonary involvement of lupus.

Regulation of complement C3 and C4 synthesis in human peritoneal mesothelial cells by peritoneal dialysis fluid.

Although complement is activated in the peritoneal cavity during chronic peritoneal dialysis (PD), little is known about its role in peritoneal defence and injury related to long-term PD. We examined the impact of glucose and commercial peritoneal dialysis solutions on complement expression in HPMCs obtained by primary culture from omental tissues of consented patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Constitutive expression of C3 and C4 mRNA in HPMCs was up-regulated upon exposure to 75 mm glucose in a time-dependent manner. C3 and C4 protein was secreted in both apical and basolateral directions. Glucose doses beyond 100 mm markedly down-regulated C3 and C4 expression, and stimulated LDH release dose-dependently. Such cytotoxic effects were attenuated using equivalent doses of mannitol instead of glucose. Treatment with conventional lactate-buffered dialysis solution gave rise to down-regulation of C3 and C4 expression, and heightened LDH release in HPMCs. These effects correlated with the glucose strength of the solution, persisted despite replacement with a bicarbonate-buffered solution, aggravated by glycated albumin, and were partially abrogated by supplementation with 10% fetal bovine serum in the culture system. Our findings suggest that the artificial conditions imposed by PD lead to alterations in local complement synthesis that have implications for the role of the peritoneal mesothelium in both inflammation and defence.