Kidney-targeted naked DNA transfer by retrograde injection into the renal vein in mice

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 314; no. 2; pp. 390 - 395
• Main Authors: Kameda, S, Maruyama, H, Higuchi, N, Iino, N, Nakamura, G, Miyazaki, J, Gejyo, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 06.02.2004
• Subjects: Animals; CAG promoter; Cytokine; DNA - genetics; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genetic Vectors; Immunoelectron microscopy; Immunoglobulin fusion protein; Immunohistochemistry; Interleukin-10; Interleukin-10 - blood; Interleukin-10 - genetics; Interleukin-10 - metabolism; Kidney - blood supply; Kidney - metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Microscopy, Immunoelectron; Naked DNA; Peritubular capillary; Plasmids - metabolism; Rats; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism; Renal interstitial fibroblast; Renal vein injection; Renal Veins - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Time Factors; Interleukin-10; Peritubular capillary; Cytokine; Immunoelectron microscopy; Mice; Renal vein injection; Renal interstitial fibroblast; CAG promoter; Naked DNA; Immunoglobulin fusion protein
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.12.107

We recently developed a novel kidney-targeted gene transfer technique in rats, using the retrograde renal vein injection of naked plasmid DNA. Many animal disease models are created in mice by transgenic or knockout technologies. However, it is much harder to perform renal vein injection in mice than in rats because they have a thin and short vein. Here we transferred the mouse interleukin (IL)-10 gene into mice by retrograde renal vein injection, using an IL-10 and immunoglobulin fusion protein (IL-10/Fc) (96-kDa) expression plasmid, pCAGGS-IL10/Fc. We observed a dose–response relationship between serum IL-10 levels and the amount of injected DNA. The serum IL-10 levels peaked at day 1 and then were sustained for at least 2 weeks. These results demonstrate that the kidney-targeted naked plasmid DNA transfer of mice by retrograde renal vein injection can be achieved, and the kidney serves as a depot organ for the production of large proteins.