TABLE 2.

Serum hEpo Detection in the Presence and Absence of Rapamycin

Week	Rapamycin	Males	Females
14	Yes	133.6 ± 7	16.5 ± 9
	No	0	0

Note. Data represent the mean ± SEM of hEpo measured in serum from mice in each group (n = 5), as indicated, at week 14 after vector (2.5 × 10¹⁰ particles to the right submandibular gland) administration. Data are expressed as mU/ml. No hEpo was detected in any serum sample from weeks −1 and 4. The control mice were administered the AAV2-TF2.3w-hEpo vector but received no rapamycin. The absence of hEpo detection in all control serum samples indicates that no leakiness of expression occurred from the vector. As noted in the text, no hEpo was detected in serum at the 4-week time point, consistent with the established pattern of transgene expression from AAV2 vectors in murine salivary glands (Voutetakis et al., 2004; Wang et al., 2006). A mechanistic reason for this expression pattern is not yet understood.