Increasing endothelial cell permeability improves the efficiency of myocyte adenoviral vector infection.

Background: Gene delivery to the myocardium using blood-borne adenoviral vectors is hindered by the endothelium, which represents a barrier limiting the infection rate of underlying myocytes. However, endothelial permeability may be modulated by pharmacological agents.

Methods: In the present study, we modeled the endothelial barrier in vitro using a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayer seeded on a Transwell membrane as a support and diffusion of fluorescent dextrans as a permeability index.

Adenoviral SERCA1a gene transfer to adult rat ventricular myocytes induces physiological changes in calcium handling.

Objective: We examined the functional consequences of expressing adult rabbit fast skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA1a) in isolated adult rat ventricular myocytes.

Methods: Myocytes were infected with a recombinant adenovirus harboring SERCA1a. Then 2 days after myocyte infection, protein expression was estimated using Western blot and SDS-PAGE analysis.

Highly efficient adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to cardiac myocytes after single-pass coronary delivery.

Efficient and homogeneous gene transfer to cardiac myocytes is a major target in myocardial gene therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the conditions permitting efficient, homogeneous, adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to cardiac myocytes, with a view to application during coronary artery catheterization. Gene transfer to adult rat ventricular myocytes was conducted using type 5 adenoviruses carrying the lacZ reporter gene.