The improvement of liposome-mediated transfection of pEGFP DNA into human prostate cancer cells by combining low-frequency and low-energy ultrasound with microbubbles.

The aim of this study was to explore the use of a contrast agent to study the effects of exposure to ultrasound, in combination with microbubbles, on liposome-mediated transfection of genes into human prostate cancer cells. A contrast agent was used to study the effects of ultrasound exposure in combination with microbubbles on liposomes, which transfect genes into human prostate cancer cells. The human prostate cancer cell line PC-3 in suspension was exposed to ultrasound with a 20% duty cycle (i.e., 2 sec 'on' time and 8 sec 'off' time) lasting 5 min, with and without ultrasound contrast agent (SonoVue™) using a digital sonifier at a frequency of 21 kHz and an intensity of 4.6 mW/cm2. Immediately after exposure to ultrasound, cell viability and membrane damage were measured. After exposure to ultrasound, the cell suspensions were put into 12‑well plates and cultured for 24 h. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry were used to detect pEGFP transfection efficiency. Exposure to ultrasound alone and ultrasound combined with microbubbles resulted in minimal cell death and induced negligible cell membrane damage. Ultrasound combined with microbubbles had a greater effect on cell membrane damage in all groups: the average cell membrane damage was 41.87%, and it was approximately 42‑fold greater than in the control group. The average transfection efficiency of PC-3 cells was 20.30% for the liposome (Lipofectamine™)+pEGFP+ultrasound+ultrasound contrast agent (SonoVue) group; this was the highest rate of all groups measured and was approximately 81‑fold greater than that of the control group. The use of low-frequency and low-energy ultrasound, in combination with microbubbles, could be a potent physical method for increasing liposome gene delivery efficiency. This technique is a promising non-viral approach that can be used in prostate cancer gene therapy.