Intravenous fate of poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-based polyplexes

The objective of this study was to assess the in vivo fate of poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (pDMAEMA)-based polyplexes after intravenous administration into mice. Circulation kinetics and tissue distribution in terms of plasmid localization and transfection efficiency were assessed. To gain more insight into the observed biodistribution and gene expression profile, the interaction of pDMAEMA-based polyplexes with blood components (erythrocytes and albumin) was investigated in vitro. In the case of i.v. injection of positively charged polyplexes at a dose of 30 microg DNA most of the radioactivity was found in the lungs and the liver 60 min after injection. In the case of pDMAEMA/DNA polyplexes with a negative charge, uptake occurred mainly by the liver. Administration of positively charged complexes at a 30 microg DNA dose resulted in reporter gene expression primarily in the lungs. Injection of negatively charged complexes and naked plasmid did not result in luciferase expression in any of the organs examined. In vitro turbidity experiments showed the induction of a charge dependent aggregation process upon addition of albumin to the polyplexes pointing out to the involvement of aggregate formation in the dominant lung uptake of the positively charged polyplexes. Also, incubations of polyplexes after pre-incubation with a physiological concentration of albumin with washed erythrocytes confirmed that polyplexes induce the formation of extremely large structures. This paper underlines the need for the design of systems with reduced interaction with blood components to promote the delivery of DNA to target tissues outside the lungs.     

端粒酶突变体对肝癌细胞端粒酶活性的作用

目的　观察端粒酶突变体对肝癌细胞端粒酶活性和生长抑制的作用。方法　利用质脂体转染法在培养的肝癌细胞中导入端粒酶突变体，并与维甲酸和人参皂甙对照，利用TRAP－银染方法对不同时期肝癌细胞进行了端粒酶活性的测定，并观察各期细胞生长情况。结果　在加入端粒酶突变体后肝癌细胞端粒酶活性明显降低，细胞出现明显凋亡现象，其作用效果与维甲酸基本相同。结论　端粒酶突变体对肝癌细胞的抑制作用可能是通过抑制端粒酶活性途径实现的。     

人骨形态发生蛋白-2基因转染脂肪源性间充质干细胞的成骨研究

目的 探讨人骨形态发生蛋白-2（hBMP-2）基因修饰的人脂肪源性间充质干细胞（ADSCs）的成骨能力及基因转染对ADSCs成骨分化的生物学调控。方法 流式细胞技术鉴定从人脂肪组织中提取的细胞为间充质来源的干细胞。将ADSCs转染hBMP＋2基因，免疫沉淀＋Western blotting法和酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）检测hBMP-2表达，确定hBMP-2表达量及表达稳定性，碱性磷酸酶（ALP）染色、ALP定量测定、钙结节染色及RT—PCR分析hBMP-2基因转染对ADSCs向成骨细胞转化的调控，并将转基因细胞注入裸鼠股部肌内，通过X线及组织学检查观察体内成骨情况。结果 流式细胞术证实从脂肪中提取的细胞为间充质来源的干细胞。转基因后免疫沉淀＋Western blotting法和ELISA法显示转染hBMP-2的ADSCs具有较高且稳定的hBMP-2的表达，转染21d后表达量无明显降低。ALP染色、ALP定量测定、钙结节染色及RT—PCR发现转基因ADSCs向成骨细胞方向发生分化。裸鼠肌内注射转基因细胞后2周即显示有异位骨形成，4周明显增多，对照组无骨组织形成。结论 转染hBMP-2基因的ADSCs在持续稳定高表达目的蛋白的同时，自身向成骨细胞发生分化，并在裸鼠体内形成异位骨。因此，ADSCs有望作为新的基因工程种子细胞。     

高转移小鼠肺癌株细胞导入人基因组DNA后的转移表型抑制

目的 探讨从正常人细胞基因组ＤＮＡ中寻找、分离并鉴定肿瘤转移抑制基因或相应ＤＮＡ序列的新途径。方法 采用体内转移灶体外再培养再硬琼脂集落克隆化筛选，获体内９０％以上高转移率小鼠肺腺癌ＬＭ２细胞株；使用磷酸钙共沉淀ＤＮＡ转染技术，将正常细胞人基因组ＤＮＡ随机片段，导入高转移小鼠肺癌细胞株ＬＭ２后，使用有限稀释法克隆化其中形态扁平的回复突变株。为证实细胞确实含有外源人ＤＮＡ序列，设计人特异性Ａｌｕ引物     

玻璃纤维诱导的转化细胞活化癌基因的研究

用玻璃纤维处理BALB/C3T3细胞,使细胞发生转化,从转化细胞中抽提DNA用以转染NIH3T3细胞,结果被转染的细胞亦发生转化。用~(32)P标记的Ha-ras癌基因作探针,通过斑点杂交,征明玻璃纤维诱发的BALB/3T3转化细胞中,Ha—ras的原癌基因被激活。     

脂质体转染AFP基因构建树突状细胞肝癌瘤苗及体外活性检测

目的：探讨以ＡＦＰ为靶点，构建ＡＦＰ－ＤＣ肝癌瘤苗及其抗肝癌免疫治疗的可能性。方法：应用脂质体将ＡＦＰ基因转染体外培养的未成熟 ＢＭＤＣ，构建 ＡＦＰ－ＤＣ肝癌瘤苗，以流式细胞术、Ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ ｂｌｏｔ、３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ法和 ＭＴＴ法等检测其免疫活性。结果：ＡＦＰ－ＤＣ瘤苗不仅能产生和分泌ＡＦＰ，而且能上调自身的Ｂ７分子和ＭＨＣ分子，明显刺激Ｔ细胞增殖及提高ＣＴＬ的杀伤作用。结论：提示肝癌相关基因ＡＦＰ可作为抗肝癌基因治疗的切入点。     

白蛋白微泡促进报告基因在细胞表达的实验研究

目的: 探讨白蛋白微泡作为非病毒载体在基因传输中的作用。方法:6孔板培养脐静脉内皮细胞(EC)和血管平滑肌细胞(VSMC),每孔加pcDNA3.1/His/LacZ质粒20 μg,加不同浓度微泡或不加微泡,超声条件为连续波,频率2MHz,机械指数1.8,照射时间1 min,48 h后计算蓝染细胞百分率和β-半乳糖苷酶活性。另以不同浓度微泡及超声照射时间处理细胞,测定细胞增殖情况。结果:与单纯超声质粒组相比,含微泡组蓝染细胞率增加约10-15倍(其中内皮细胞组11.6倍,平滑肌细胞组15.2倍),报告基因表达定量增加近8倍。微泡浓度为10％时细胞转染效率最高。超声照射对细胞增殖无影响,微泡浓度为50％时有明显的细胞毒作用。结论:白蛋白微泡在超声作用下能明显增加基因的传输效率,有可能成为一种安全有效的基因治疗的载体。     

Apical and basolateral expression of Aquaporin-1 in transfected MDCK and LLC-PK cells and functional evaluation of their transcellular osmotic water permeabilities

 Aquaporin-1 is present in the apical and basolateral membranes in proximal tubules and descending limbs of Henlé’s loop. In order to be able to study the routing of Aquaporin-1 and the regulation of Aquaporin-1-mediated transcellular water flow, we stably transfected LLC-PK₁ and MDCK-HRS cell lines with an Aquaporin-1 expression construct. LLC-PK₁ clone 7 and MDCK clone K integrated two and one copies, respectively, which was reflected in the amount of Aquaporin-1 mRNA expressed in both clones. The Aquaporin-1 protein levels, however, were similar. In both clones, immuno-electronmicroscopy showed extensive labelling of Aquaporin-1 on the basolateral plasma membrane, endosomal vesicles and the apical plasma membrane, including the microvilli. To measure transcellular water permeation, a simple method was applied using phenol-red as a cell-impermeant marker of concentration. In contrast to the native cell lines, both clones revealed a high transcellular osmotic water permeability, which could not be influenced by forskolin add/3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) or the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl 13-acetate (TPA). After glutaraldehyde fixation, it was inhibitable by HgCl₂. These results indicate that targeting of Aquaporin-1 to the apical and basolateral plasma membrane is independent of cell type and show for the first time that water flow through a cultured epithelium can be blocked by mercurial compounds. Received: 9 October 1996 / Received after revision: 3 January 1997 / Accepted: 8 January 1997     

Leishmania mexicana promastigotes induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo that do not recognize infected macrophages

The question is addressed whether antigens of Leishmania, a parasite residing in the endosomal compartment of macrophages, can be presented in the context of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. We used E. coli β-galactosidase as a model antigen which can be expressed in high levels in L. mexicana promastigotes (L. mexicana-gal). Infection of BALB/c mice with L. mexicanagal induces β-galactosidase-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTL), which can be isolated using a β-galactosidase-expressing mastocytoma line as an antigen-presenting cell. These CTL recognize epitopes of β-galactosidase in the context of H-2K^d; however, they do not recognize L. mexicanagal-infected macrophages even after killing of the intracellular amastigotes by drug treatment or macrophage activation by lymphokines, although class I-peptide interaction and the presentation of endogenously produced antigens is normal. It is concluded that parasite antigens can induce a CTL response in vivo but that these CTL cannot recognize infected macrophages because the relevant epitopes cannot gain access to class I molecules. The effect of priming in vivo may be explained by the well-known but ill-understood phenomenon of cross-priming.