FIG. 1.

Characterization of sonoporation gene delivery by BLI in mouse prostate tumor models. (A) In vivo BLI of mouse RM1 prostate tumors sonoporated with a plasmid encoding renilla luciferase (Rluc). C57/BL6 male mice bearing subcutaneous RM1 prostate tumors received a single dose of pRLuc plus SonoVue and were exposed to no sonoporation or US (–US) or to US (+US) as described in Materials and Methods. Exposure of tumors to sonoporation results in a detectable Rluc signal, whereas the group without sonoporation exposure does not emit a detectable signal in vivo. (B) Ex vivo BLI of mouse RM1 and TRAMP-C2 prostate tumors. Tumors were injected with either naked (pRLuc) or plasmid mixed with SonoVue MB (pRluc+MB) as described in Materials and Methods. Tumors were immediately exposed to US or sonoporation (+US) or left nonirradiated (–US). Shown are the Rluc signals detected. The color bar indicates quantification of the luminescence signal in p/sec/cm²/sr. (C) Fold change in Rluc expression in tumors upon sonoporation. The quantifiable luminescence signals allow calculation of the fold changes in Rluc expression in RM1 and TRAMP-C2 tumor models. Tumors received either pRLuc or pRLuc complexed with SonoVue MB (pRluc+MB), in the absence (–US) or presence of sonoporation or US (+US). *p<0.05. (D) Comparison of signals emitted from TRAMP-C2 tumors injected intratumorally with either a single dose of Ad vector (5×10⁷ pfu) or 50 μg of plasmid encoding firefly luciferase (pLuc) mixed with SonoVue and sonoporated (pLuc+MB+US). Left: In vivo signal detection, color bar, and quantification plot. Right: Ex vivo isolated tumor imaging and color bar in p/sec/cm²/sr, and quantification plot. *p<0.005. Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/hum