Abstract
It has remained unsuccessful to attempt at protein transduction into specific restricted brain areas. We demonstrated the direct in vivo protein transduction by microinjecting β-galactosidase (β-gal) with non-viral vector, hemagglutinating virus of Japan envelope (HVJ-E) vector into the rat nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). The medulla oblongata including the NTS was removed 6 hr post-injection and cryostat sections were histochemically stained with X-gal to detect β-gal enzymatic activity. In rats microinjected β-gal protein with HVJ-E vector, cells in the area around the injection site were strongly positive for β-gal. The activity of β-gal in sections from rats microinjected with b-gal and HVJ-E vector (102.67±27.64) was significantly (p<0.01) stronger than that of b-galprotein without HVJ-E vector (24.60±8.25). Our findings suggest that direct in vivo protein transduction into specific restricted brain areas is possible. The type of targeted delivery system we present may have wide applications in the administration of therapeutic proteins to the central nervous system. [Jpn J Physiol 55 Suppl:S79 (2005)]
