Ultrasound mediated intravesical transfection enhanced by treatment with lidocaine or heat.

Abstract

We have previously reported that cell membrane modification by lidocaine or heat can enhance ultrasound mediated transfection (USMT) on PC-3 cells in vitro. In the current study we investigated whether such enhancement could be observed using the T24 human bladder cancer cell line in vitro along with PC-3 in vivo. For in vitro transfection T24 cells were sonicated with 1 MHz ultrasound at 3.6 W/cm (ISATA) for 20 seconds. For in vivo transfection T24 or PC-3 cells in the bladder were transabdominally sonicated with 1 MHz ultrasound at 0.78 W/cm (ISATA) for 60 seconds. Transfection efficiency was evaluated by the luciferase assay standardized with protein contents of the samples. Lidocaine or heat treatment of T24 cells during sonication enhanced luciferase expression significantly. Results indicated that enhancements could be achieved in a different cell line, although to lesser degrees than with PC-3 cells. In addition, membrane fluidity facilitation and cell viability after sonication were also different, presumably influenced by the different structures and/or compositions of the cell membranes. PC-3 and T24 cells were successfully transfected in the bladder. In addition, USMT enhancements were also observed in the 2 cell lines when sonicated with lidocaine or heat. These results suggest that USMT and its enhancement with lidocaine or heat can be applied for gene therapy in the bladder.