Surfactant-mediated gene transfer for animal cells

A commercially available cationic surfactant, dimethyl-dioctadecyl ammonium bromide (DDAB), was used for making lipid vesicles. DDAB easily dissolved in water at 60 °C and formed lipid vesicles at room temperature. The lipid vesicles showed very low cytotoxicity compared with other cationic surfactants. After the lipid vesicles were mixed with plasmid DNA solution, the solution was added to mammalian cells. The addition of a nonionic surfactant (Tween 80) to the cationic lipid vesicles at the weight ratio of 1:1 enhanced transfection efficiency. Adding more or less than the optimal amounts of DNA and lipid vesicles resulted in decreased transfection efficiency. With the optimal amounts of DNA (pCMVβ) and lipid vesicles, about 90-95% of CHO-K1 and BHK-21C13 cells transiently expressed β-galactosidase activity 24 h after transfection. By this procedure, stable transformants around 10(5) cells corresponding to 10% efficiency could be obtained by one batch transfection.

The mean intensity ofo activation than the number of activated voxels is a better index to reflect the levels of visuospatial performance

This study is to identify the more sensitive method to measure the brain activation by the visuospatial performance level by comparing two different methods of measuremtnt (i.e., a method calculating the number of activated voxels and the other, the mean intensity of activated voxels). Sixteen right-handed male college students (mean age 23.2 years) participated in this study and function brain images were scanned with a 3T MRI using the single-shot EPI method during visuospatial performance. There found no brain areas with correlation between the visuospatial performance level and number of activated voxels. However, there found a sifgnificant correlatgion between the visuospatial performance level and the mean intensity of selected activated voxels in the parietal, frontal, and other areas.f In conclusion, the method of meanintensity rather than the one of the number is considered as a better index.

P2-08-12: Additional Lesion Found in Preoperative Breast MRI; Is Routine Use Justified?

Preoperative breast MRI has been increasingly performed in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer due to its high sensitivity in assessing the extent and additional malignant foci. But due to it's low specificity, role of routine preoperative breast MRI has become an issue. In this study we aught to analyze the characteristics of the additional lesion found in preoperative breast MRI and to evaluate the clinicopathological factors in association with likelihood of having additional malignancy.

We retrospectively reviewed 2491 patients who undergone surgery due to breast cancer in Seoul National University Hospital(SNUH) between Jan 2006 and Dec 2010. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy cases, patients undergone initial sonography in other center or ones with prior excision were excluded and total 1068 patients were analyzed. The additional lesion was defined as the lesion not found in initial sonography and detected in preoperative breast MRI. The pathology of the additional lesion was reviewed and the association between the clinicopathologic factors and additional malignancy were evaluated. Accuracy of breast MRI was estimated regarding cancer yield, positive predictive value(PPV).

Mean age at diagnosis was 50.9 years (21 to 85 years). Overall detection rate of additional lesion was 26.2%(280 out of 1068). Mean size of the additional lesion was 9.8mm(3-51). Additional lesions consist of 99(35.4% of 280) C4 or higher, 174(62.1% of 280) below C4, 7(2.5% of 280) C0 lesions. Among them 100 patients undergone onstage surgery. 5(55% of 100) lesions were in ipsilateral breast and 45(45% of 100) in contralateral breast. Breast conserving surgery and mastectomy rate of the 100 onstage-operation group was 36% versus 64% and 64.6% versus 35.4% in total 1068 patients, showing no significant change of operation method of the primary cancer owing to additional lesion.

Among the 100 patients, 54(19.3% of 280) were benign, 3(1.1% of 280) were atypical ductal hyperplasia, 13(4.6% of 280) were in situ carcinoma, 19(6.8% of 280) were invasive carcinoma and 11(3.9% of 280) were unknown. Cancer yield was 2.99%(32 out of 1068) and PPV of preoperative breast MRI was 39.0%(31 out of 82).

In univariate analysis, young age and premenopausal patients showed to have higher rate of additional cancer found in MRI(p=0.022, p=0.036). Breast density, size and LN status of the primary cancer didn't show significancy and neither the hormone receptor status with each p value 0.705, 0.381, 0.973, 0.375 respectively. Lobular carcinoma(ILC or mixed IDC with ILC) and low grade carcinoma showed significancy of having additional malignancy (p=0.019, 0.022). In multivariate analysis age, low grade carcinoma and lobular carcinoma showed independent association with p value 0.014, 0.039, 0.035 respectively(HR 0.95, 95%CI:0.94 o 0.99),(HR 0.39, 95%CI:0.16 to 0.96),(HR 5.66, 95%CI:1.13 to 28.39).

Routine preoperative breast MRI use can result in overtreatment also with delay in surgical management. In our data, younger age, low grade carcinoma, lobular carcinoma showed independent association having additional malignant foci in breast MRI. With the basis of mammography and sonography, preoperative breast MRI should only be done when additional gain is considered to overcome the flaws.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-08-12.

67 PIG OOCYTES WITH A LARGE PERIVITELLINE SPACE MATURED IN VITRO HAVE GREATER DEVELOPMENTAL COMPETENCE AFTER PARTHENOGENESIS AND SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER

The size of perivitelline space (PVS) is closely related with the frequency of polyspermic fertilization in pig oocytes. It has been reported that enlargement of PVS is attributed to accumulation of glycoproteins synthesised and secreted from cumulus cells and that culture of immature oocytes in low-salt medium enlarges PVS in pigs. This study examined the developmental competence of pig oocytes after parthenogenetic activation (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in relation to the size of the PVS of oocytes matured in vitro (IVM). Cumulus–oocyte complexes were matured in medium 199 (Experiment 1) or porcine zygote medium (PZM)-3 (Experiment 2) supplemented with pig follicular fluid, cysteine, pyruvate, EGF, insulin, and hormones for the first 22 h and then cultured in hormone-free medium for an additional 22 h. IVM oocytes were activated electrically for PA or used as recipient cytoplasts for SCNT. PA and SCNT embryos were cultured for 7 days in PZM-3 medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin. The intracellular glutathione (GSH) level in IVM oocytes was determined by analysing the fluorescence intensity of oocytes after staining with CellTracker Blue CMF2HC. The expression of CDK1, PCNA, and ERK2 mRNA in IVM oocytes was analysed by RT-PCR. Data were analysed using a general linear model procedure followed by the least significant difference mean separation procedure when the treatments differed at P < 0.05. In Experiment 1, oocytes with a larger PVS had higher (P < 0.05) levels of intracellular GSH (1.0 pixels/oocyte v. 0.6 pixels/oocyte) and blastocyst formation (54% v. 37%) after PA than oocytes with smaller PVS. In Experiment 2, maturation culture of oocytes in PZM-3 with reduced (61.6 mM) NaCl concentration significantly increased (P < 0.05) the size of the PVS (5.2 μM v. 3.3 μM) compared with control oocytes that were matured in PZM-3 containing 108 mM NaCl, although the treatment did not alter the nuclear maturation. Moreover, oocytes with increased PVS expressed more CDK1, PCNA, and ERK2 mRNA and had higher (P < 0.05) intracellular GSH levels (1.6 pixels/oocyte v. 1.2 pixels/oocyte) and increased blastocyst formation after PA (52% v. 41%) and SCNT (32% v. 18%) compared with control oocytes. Our results demonstrate that pig oocytes with a large PVS have greater developmental competence after PA and SCNT, which is attributed to improved cytoplasmic maturation resulting from the enhanced GSH level and transcription factor expression and that enlargement of PVS by the culture in low-NaCl medium also improves developmental competence of pig oocytes. This work was supported by grants (#20070301034040 and #20080401034072) from the BioGreen 21 Program (Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea).

Central venous pressure during the post-anhepatic phase is not associated with early postoperative outcomes following orthotopic liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Fluid management during orthotopic liver transplantation poses unique challenges for the anesthesiologist. Maintenance of hypovolemia as indicated by low central venous pressure has been associated with reduced blood loss and improved outcomes in some studies, but with higher 30-day mortality and increased incidence of renal dysfunction in others. The primary aim was to evaluate the association of central venous pressure management after liver allograft reperfusion with immediate postoperative patient outcomes.

METHODS

This was a retrospective investigation evaluating the intraoperative and postoperative records of 144 consecutive patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation at a single institution.

RESULTS

We did not find any important association between central venous pressure management after graft reperfusion and postoperative patient outcomes. Specifically, these data do not support the hypothesis that maintenance of lower central venous pressure during the post-anhepatic phase of orthotopic liver transplantation is associated with improved immediate postoperative allograft function (except for a steeper decrease in post operative days 1-3 in 2 of the 3 liver function test: alanine aminotransferase and bilirubin) or overall patient survival, graft survival, composite graft/patient survival, intensive care length of stay, hospital length of stay or the occurrence of infections.

CONCLUSION

Maintaining a lower central venous pressure during the post-anhepatic phase during orthotopic liver transplantation is not associated with any benefit in terms of immediate postoperative allograft function, graft survival or patient survival.

Sendai virus-mediated CFTR gene transfer to the airway epithelium

The potential for gene therapy to be an effective treatment for cystic fibrosis has been hampered by the limited gene transfer efficiency of current vectors. We have shown that recombinant Sendai virus (SeV) is highly efficient in mediating gene transfer to differentiated airway epithelial cells, because of its capacity to overcome the intra- and extracellular barriers known to limit gene delivery. Here, we have identified a novel method to allow the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) cDNA sequence to be inserted within SeV (SeV-CFTR). Following in vitro transduction with SeV-CFTR, a chloride-selective current was observed using whole-cell and single-channel patch-clamp techniques. SeV-CFTR administration to the nasal epithelium of cystic fibrosis (CF) mice (Cftr(G551D) and Cftr(tm1Unc)TgN(FABPCFTR)#Jaw mice) led to partial correction of the CF chloride transport defect. In addition, when compared to a SeV control vector, a higher degree of inflammation and epithelial damage was found in the nasal epithelium of mice treated with SeV-CFTR. Second-generation transmission-incompetent F-deleted SeV-CFTR led to similar correction of the CF chloride transport defect in vivo as first-generation transmission-competent vectors. Further modifications to the vector or the host may make it easier to translate these studies into clinical trials of cystic fibrosis.