Hydrodynamic liver gene transfer mechanism involves transient sinusoidal blood stasis and massive hepatocyte endocytic vesicles.

The present study contributes to clarify the mechanism underlying the high efficacy of hepatocyte gene transfer mediated by hydrodynamic injection. Gene transfer experiments were performed employing the hAAT gene, and the efficacy and differential identification in mouse plasma of human transgene versus mouse gene was assessed by ELISA and proteomic procedures, respectively. By applying different experimental strategies such as cumulative dose-response efficacy, hemodynamic changes reflected by venous pressures, intravital microscopy, and morphological changes established by transmission electron microscopy, we found that: (a) cumulative multiple doses of transgene by hydrodynamic injection are efficient and well tolerated, resulting in therapeutic plasma levels of hAAT; (b) hydrodynamic injection mediates a transient inversion of intrahepatic blood flow, with circulatory stasis for a few minutes mainly in pericentral vein sinusoids; (c) transmission electron microscopy shows hydrodynamic injection to promote massive megafluid endocytic vesicles among hepatocytes around the central vein but not in hepatocytes around the periportal vein. We suggest that the mechanism of hydrodynamic liver gene transfer involves transient inversion of intrahepatic flow, sinusoidal blood stasis, and massive fluid endocytic vesicles in pericentral vein hepatocytes.