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The development of an efficient delivery system is critical for the successful treatment of cardiovascular diseases using non-viral gene therapies. Cytoplasmic and nuclear membrane barriers reduce delivery efficiency by impeding the transfection of foreign genes. Thus, a gene delivery system capable of transporting exogenous genes may improve gene therapy. The present study used a novel strategy involving ultrasound-targeted microbubbles and peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-binding nuclear localization signals (NLS). Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) and PNA-binding NLS were used to improve the cytoplasmic and nuclear importation of the plasmid, respectively. Experiments were performed using antibody-targeted microbubbles (AT-MCB) that specifically recognize the SV40T antigen receptor expressed on the membranes of 293T cells, resulting in the localization of ultrasound microbubbles to 293T cell membranes. Furthermore, PNA containing NLS was inserted into the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-N3 plasmid DNA (NLS-PNA-DNA), which increased nuclear localization. The nuclear import and gene expression efficiency of the AT-MCB with PNA-binding NLS were compared with AT-MCB alone or a PNA-binding NLS. The effect of the AT-MCB containing PNA-binding NLS on transfection was investigated. The ultrasound and AT-MCB delivery significantly enhanced the cytoplasmic intake of exogenous genes and maintained high cell viability. The nuclear import and gene expression of combined microbubble- and PNA-transfected cells were significantly greater compared with cells that were transfected with AT-MCB or DNA with only PNA-binding NLS. The quantity of EGFP-N3 plasmids in the nuclei was increased by >5.0-fold compared with control microbubbles (CMCB) and NLS-free plasmids. The gene expression was ~1.7-fold greater compared with NLS-free plasmids and 1.3-fold greater compared with control microbubbles. In conclusion, UTMD combined with AT-MCB and a PNA-binding NLS plasmid significantly improved transfection efficiency by increasing cytoplasmic and nuclear DNA import. This method is a promising strategy for the noninvasive and effective delivery of target genes or drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current strategies of gene transfection are not efficient at achieving a notable therapeutic effect. The aim of the present study was to combine ultrasound‑targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) with a polyethylenimine/pEGFP‑N3 plasmid/nuclear localization sequence (PEI/DNA/NLS) complex gene delivery system, and evaluate the transfection efficiency of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene delivery to 293T cells using this system. The formation of PEI/DNA/NLS complexes and the protective effects of PEI/NLS were verified by gel electrophoresis. Solutions consisting of the plasmid alone, PEI/DNA complexes, PEI/DNA/NLS complexes, UTMD+DNA, UTMD+PEI/DNA complexes, and UTMD+PEI/DNA/NLS complexes were transduced into 293T cells via ultrasound irradiation. The expression of GFP was observed using an inverted microscope and transfection efficiency was detected by flow cytometry following 24 h incubation in vitro. Cell activity was detected using a Cell Counting kit (CCK)‑8 assay. Gel electrophoresis confirmed the formation of PEI/DNA/NLS complexes and demonstrated that PEI/NLS exhibited protective effects on plasmid integrity for a limited time. Inverted microscope observations revealed that a greater GFP signal was observed with the combined action of PEI/DNA/NLS complexes with UTMD, and flow cytometry analysis demonstrated the highest level of transfection efficiency in this group. In addition, the viability of the cells detected by CCK‑8 and treated with PEI/DNA/NLS complexes with UTMD was >80%. In conclusion, the combination of UTMD and PEI/DNA/NLS complexes was highly effective for the efficient transfection of 293T cells without causing excessive cell damage. This method may provide a novel and effective gene transduction system to be applied in clinical treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD) can promote the entry of plasmid DNA (pDNA) into the cell cytoplasm, by increasing the permeability of the cell membrane. But the transfection efficiency remains low due to inability of the pDNA to enter the nucleus. Various methods have been explored to improve the UTMD transfection efficiency, but with little success. In cells, the classic nuclear localization signal (cNLS) peptide is an amino acid sequence that signals proteins that are due for nuclear transport. The present study aimed to investigate whether binding of a cNLS peptide to the pDNA may improve the transfection efficiency of UTMD. Four experimental groups were analyzed: Control group (UTMD + pDNA), group with cNLS (UTMD + pDNA + cNLS), group with mutated NLS (mNLS; UTMD + pDNA + mNLS), and group with cNLS and the nuclear import blocker, wheat germ agglutinin (WGA; UTMD + pDNA + cNLS + WGA). The NLS was labeled by fluorescein isothiocyanate, whereas pDNA was labeled with Cy3. Different molar ratios were tested for the NLS and pDNA combination in order to achieve optimal binding of the two molecules. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were then transfected using the optimum ultrasonic irradiation parameters and NLS/pDNA molar ratio. At 6 h post-transfection, the rates of Cy3-labeled pDNA inside the cells and their nuclei were detected by flow cytometry and laser confocal microscopy, and the cellular vs. nuclear uptake of pDNA was calculated. In order to further evaluate the effect of NLS on UTMD-mediated gene transfection, the transfection efficiency and relative expression levels of mRNA and protein were detected at 48 h post-transfection. The results demonstrated that the optimal molar ratio of NLS with pDNA was 104:1. The rates of pDNA successful entry into the cell and nucleus were significantly higher in the cNLS group compared with the control group. The transfection efficiency, and relative expression levels of mRNA and protein from the plasmid were significantly increased in the cNLS group compared with the control group. The mNLS group displayed no significant difference compared with the control group, while the WGA group exhibited significant inhibition in most indicators of transfection efficiency compared to the cNLS group. These results suggest that combining a cNLS peptide with pDNA during UTMD-mediated transfection significantly improved transfection efficiency. Thus, a cNLS peptide may be an important mediator and a new strategy in enhancing the efficiency of UTMD-mediated gene transfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to construct targeted cationic microbubbles (TCMBs) by synthesizing cationic microbubbles conjugated to an intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) antibody, and then to use the TCMBs to deliver the angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) gene into infarcted heart tissue using ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction. It was hypothesized that the TCMBs would accumulate in higher numbers than non-targeted cationic microbubbles (CMBs) in the infarcted heart, and would therefore increase the efficiency of targeted Ang-1 gene transfection and promote angiogenesis. The results of the study demonstrated that the ability of TCMBs to target inflammatory endothelial cells was 18.4-fold higher than that of the CMBs in vitro. The accumulation of TCMBs was greater than that of CMBs in TNF-α-stimulated human umbilical cord veins, indicated by a 212% higher acoustic intensity. In vivo, the TCMBs specifically accumulated in the myocardial infarct area in a rabbit model. Three days after ultrasound microbubble-mediated gene transfection, Ang-1 protein expression in the TCMB group was 2.7-fold higher than that of the CMB group. Angiogenesis, the thickness of the infarct region and the heart function of the TCMB group were all significantly improved compared with those in the CMB and control groups at 4 weeks following gene transfection (all P<0.01). Therefore, the results of the current study demonstrate that ultrasound-mediated TCMB destruction effectively delivered the Ang-1 gene to the infarcted myocardium, resulting in improved cardiac morphology and function in the animal model. Ultrasound-mediated TCMB destruction is a promising strategy for improving gene therapy in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]