Figure 1.

Delivery of GDF11 cDNA to apoE^−/− mice using AAV vector. ApoE^−/− mice (n = 13) preinoculated with 10¹² vp of AAV-GDF11 or AAV-GFP through the tail vein. Randomly three mice from AAV-GFP and AAV-GDF11 groups were killed 4 weeks after injection and the expression of GDF11 in liver and aorta were detected by immunofluorescence. (a) AAV vector used in this study. TR indicates terminal repeat sequences; CMV, cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter; and polyA, polyadenylation site. (b) Expression of GDF11 was evaluated by immunofluorescence and Western blot in MAECs transduced with AAV-GDF11. Scale bar, 50 μm. (c and d) All data were repeated three times. Immunofluorescence of liver and aorta sections of mice treated with AAV-GDF11 at 4 weeks after injection. Scale bar, 50 μm (c) and Scale bar, 100 μm (d). (e and f) Serum GDF11/8 was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in apoE^−/− mice. Data were shown as mean ± SD. Student's t-test was performed to compare differences between two groups. *P < 0.05 versus AAV-GFP; ^#P < 0.05 versus vehicle group. AAV, adeno-associated viruses; AAV-GDF11, AAV-mediated GDF11 gene transfer; apoE^−/−, apolipoprotein E null; GDF11, growth differentiation factor 11; GFP, green fluorescent protein; MAECs, mice aortic endothelial cells; SD, standard deviation.