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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Introduction to the Ultrasound Targeted Microbubble Destruction Technique
Published on: June 12, 2011
Sonoporation using microbubble BR14 promotes pDNA/siRNA transduction to murine heart
Sei Tsunoda1, Osam Mazda, Yohei Oda
1Department of Molecular Cardiology and Vascular Regenerative Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan.
Abstract:
Naked plasmid DNA (pDNA) and short interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes were transduced into adult murine heart by means of sonoporation using the third-generation microbubble, BR14. Plasmid DNAs carrying luciferase, beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), or enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter genes were mixed with BR14 and injected percutaneously into the left ventricular (LV) cavity of C57BL/6 mice while exposed to transthoracic ultrasound at 1MHz for 60s. Sonoporation at an output intensity of 2.0W/cm(2) and a 50% pulse duty ratio resulted in the highest luciferase expression in the heart. Histological examinations revealed significant expression of the beta-gal and EGFP reporters in the subendocardial myocardium of LV. Intraventricular co-injection of siRNA-GFP and BR14 with concomitant ultrasonic exposure resulted in substantial reduction in EGFP expression in the coronary artery in EGFP transgenic mice. The present method may be applicable to gain-of-function and loss-of-function genetic engineering in vivo of adult murine heart.
