Figure 1.

Successful adenoviral transduction with adenoviral construct AdlacZ results in expression of active β-galactosidase in the rabbit pleural mesothelium, which is sustained for up to 10 days. The presence of active β-galactosidase is demonstrated by the distinct blue color of cells and tissues treated with a stain containing 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (X-gal). (A) Lungs harvested and stained 2, 4, 5, 8, and 10 days after intrapleural transduction with the lacZ gene, delivered using the AdlacZ adenovirus, demonstrated the blue color associated with the presence of active β-galactosidase. The peak of lacZ expression was observed on Days 4–5. (B and C) Lungs of control animals treated with PBS (B), empty vector (EV) (C), or not treated (NL; in the left lungs) (B and C), lacked a blue color after staining. (D and E) Transduction, and therefore lacZ expression, was selective to the mesothelial monolayer of the visceral (D) and parietal (E) pleura, as confirmed by staining for β-galactosidase activity.