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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
06:20
Electroporation of Plasmid DNA into Mouse Skeletal Muscle
Published on: April 6, 2022
Gene expression profiles in skeletal muscle after gene electrotransfer
Pernille Hojman1, John R Zibert, Hanne Gissel
1Laboratory of the Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, Herlev, Denmark. pehm@heh.regionh.dk <pehm@heh.regionh.dk>
BMC Molecular Biology
|June 30, 2007
Summary
DNA electrotransfer to muscle shows promise for treating genetic disorders. This study found that electroporation causes minor, transient changes in muscle gene expression and function, indicating its safety for clinical applications.
Area of Science:
- Muscle physiology and gene therapy
Background:
- Gene transfer by electroporation (DNA electrotransfer) offers potential for treating protein deficiency syndromes.
- Limited data exists on the effects of DNA electrotransfer on muscle fibers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate transcriptional, morphological, and physiological changes in muscle fibers following DNA electrotransfer.
- To assess the safety and efficacy of a specific electroporation pulse combination (HV+LV).
Main Methods:
- DNA electrotransfer using a high voltage (HV) followed by a low voltage (LV) pulse combination.
- Microarray analysis for gene expression profiling.
- Histological analysis for morphological changes.
- Force generation measurements for physiological assessment.
Main Results:
- Electroporation caused transient down-regulation of structural and catalytic proteins; DNA injection affected intracellular transport proteins.
- Histological analysis showed some fiber damage with DNA+HV+LV, but preservation with HV+LV alone.
- No significant changes in inflammatory or muscle regeneration markers were detected.
- Muscle force generation capacity remained unaffected two weeks post-treatment.
Conclusions:
- DNA electrotransfer induces minimal and transient changes in muscle gene expression, confirming its safety for muscle host cells.
- The optimized HV+LV pulse combination ensures efficient and safe DNA electrotransfer for clinical use.
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