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Published on: October 10, 2012
High-level expression of interleukin-4 following electroporation-mediated gene transfer accelerates Type 1 diabetes
Mayumi Horiki1, Eiji Yamato, Shinsuke Noso
1Division of Stem Cell Regulation Research (G6), Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan.
Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice develop T cell-dependent autoimmune disease. Administration of interleukin-4 (IL-4), one of the T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines, is reported to prevent either insulitis or diabetes or both in NOD mice. We examined the effect of transferring an IL-4-expressing plasmid vector into muscle by in vivo electroporation on the progression of diabetes in NOD mice. Plasmid DNA expressing murine IL-4 (pCAGGS-IL-4) was introduced into the muscles of 4- and 6-week-old female NOD mice using an in vivo electroporation technique we developed previously. The serum IL-4 levels reached 2000-8000 pg/ml 3 days after the delivery of pCAGGS-IL-4 and remained detectable (>5 pg/ml) for over 4 weeks. In contrast to the previous reports, 88% of the mice treated with pCAGGS-IL-4 developed overt diabetes by 30 weeks of age, while only 25% of nontreated mice and 19% of the mice treated with control pCAGGS developed overt diabetes by then (p<0.01). Therefore, highly expressed IL-4 introduced by in vivo electroporation may have caused a Th1 shift, resulting in the promotion of diabetes in NOD mice. The high serum concentration of cytokines attained by our method is likely to unveil previously unknown cytokine functions.
Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice develop T cell-dependent autoimmune disease. Administration of interleukin-4 (IL-4), one of the T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines, is reported to prevent either insulitis or diabetes or both in NOD mice. We examined the effect of transferring an IL-4-expressing plasmid vector into muscle by in vivo electroporation on the progression of diabetes in NOD mice. Plasmid DNA expressing murine IL-4 (pCAGGS-IL-4) was introduced into the muscles of 4- and 6-week-old female NOD mice using an in vivo electroporation technique we developed previously. The serum IL-4 levels reached 2000-8000 pg/ml 3 days after the delivery of pCAGGS-IL-4 and remained detectable (>5 pg/ml) for over 4 weeks. In contrast to the previous reports, 88% of the mice treated with pCAGGS-IL-4 developed overt diabetes by 30 weeks of age, while only 25% of nontreated mice and 19% of the mice treated with control pCAGGS developed overt diabetes by then (p<0.01). Therefore, highly expressed IL-4 introduced by in vivo electroporation may have caused a Th1 shift, resulting in the promotion of diabetes in NOD mice. The high serum concentration of cytokines attained by our method is likely to unveil previously unknown cytokine functions.
