[Experimental study of vascular gene transfer using soluble stent].

We assessed the possibility of gene transfer into anastomotic arteries in vivo using soluble stent containing Adv5-CMV/LacZ. After being soaked in a high concentration solution of glucose containing Adv5-CMV (control group) or Adv5-CMV/LacZ (treatment group) for 30 minutes, we inserted soluble stents into the lumina of cut rat carotid arteries, and end-to-end anastomoses of cut rat carotid were performed with standard microvascular surgical technique. 16 rats were killed after two weeks, the segments of anastomotic carotid arteries were prepared for assessing beta-galactosidase activity and histochemical staining. In the control group, the anastomotic arteries did not have detectable level of beta-galactosidase expression. In the treatment group, the amount of beta-galactosidase expression was 9.80 x 10-3 u/g tissue. Microscopic examination of histochemically stained arteries demonstrated that gene transfered not only to endothelial cells but also to smooth muscle cells, and all anastomotic arteries were transfered in the treatment group, but none of arteries revealed blue in the control group. The results of this experimental study suggested that soluble stent be a new method of direct gene transfer into arteries in vivo.