FIG. 8.

Radioprotective capacity of mt-Cat transgene product in mouse lungs in vivo. Groups of 20 C57BL/6NHsd mice were injected intratracheally with 100 μl liposomes containing 100 μg of plasmid DNA as either MnSOD-PL complex, Cat-PL complex or mt-Cat-PL complex. Twenty-four hours later, treated and control mice were irradiated with 20 Gy to the lungs. The mice were followed for the development of symptoms of severe organizing alveolitis/fibrosis, at which time they were euthanized (panel A). Mice injected with mt-Cat-PL or MnSOD-PL had increased survival compared to irradiated control mice (P = 0.004 or P = 0.017, respectively) as determined by a log rank test. Panel B: Percentage of the lung displaying organizing alveolitis/fibrosis at the time of euthanasia. Mice injected with mt-Cat-PL or MnSOD-PL had significantly less organizing alveolitis/fibrosis than control mice. (Student’s t test, * P < 0.001 or # P = 0.004, respectively).