EGFP gene transfection into the synovial joint tissues of rats with rheumatoid arthritis by ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction

The aim of the present study was to explore the feasibility of enhancing green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene transfection into the synovial joint tissues of rats with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction. An optimal SonoVue dose was determined using 40 normal rats categorized into five groups according to the various doses of microbubbles used. At 1 week after ultrasound irradiation, the rats were sacrificed. Damage to the joint synovial tissues was observed with hematoxylin and eosin histopathological staining under a microscope. A further 44 normal rats were used to establish a rat model of RA, and were then categorized into four groups: EGFP, ultrasound + EGFP, microbubbles + EGFP and ultrasound + microbubbles + EGFP. The last group was irradiated with ultrasound for 10 min following the injection of 300 μl SonoVue and 10 μg EGFP into the joint cavity. Rats were sacrificed after 3 days and synovial tissue was collected from the knee joints for observation of EGFP with fluorescence microscopy and analysis by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. EGFP expression was observed in the synovial tissues of all groups. However, high EGFP expression levels were observed in the ultrasound + microbubbles + EGFP group. No statistically significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in the EGFP expression levels between the EGFP, ultrasound + EGFP and microbubbles + EGFP groups. However, EGFP expression levels in the EGFP, ultrasound + EGFP and microbubbles + EGFP groups significantly differed (P<0.05) from that in the ultrasound + microbubbles + EGFP group. Therefore, ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction improved EGFP transfection efficiency into the joint synovial tissues of rats with RA.