[Expression in vivo of the lacZ gene, delivered to mouse lungs using synthetic microspheres].

A capacity of MF-2 synthetic microspheres to serve as the vehicle for transfer of the marker LacZ gene to mouse lung epithelial cells was studied after a single intranasal administration of the MF-2/gene complex. Two types of plasmids carrying marker gene LacZ were used in the experiments: with cytoplasmic (pCMV-LacZ) and nuclear (pCMV-nlsLacZ) localization of the gene product (beta-galactosidase). As early as 7 days after the complexes MF-2/pCMV-LacZ and MF-2/pCMV-nlsLacZ were administered, specific staining for beta-galactosidase revealed this enzyme activity in the epithelial cells of bronchi, bronchioli, and alveoli.