Transfection of recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 9 to mouse heart in vivo and the impact on cardiac function

objective To evaluate the transfection efficiency of recombinant adeno associated virus semtype 9 carrying enhanced green fluorescent protein(rAAV9-eGFP)to mouse heart in vivo and the impact on cardiac function.Methods Sixteen Kunming(KM)mice were transfected rAAV9-eGFP by tail injection.eGFP expression in the heart,liver,lung,kidney and brain cryosections Was observed under inverted fluorescence microscope 7,14,21,28 days after the injection of rAAV9-eGFP and eGFP was quantitated by Western blot.Twenty KM mice were divided into control group and rAAV9-eGFP group randomly.and were received with saline or rAAV9-eGFP.The echocardiography and hemodynamics were performed 28 days after the injection of saline or rAAV9-eGFP.Results eGFP expression in the heart reached the maximum at day 21.at the point of which the transduction efficiency of rAAV9-eGFP in myocardium Was 32%.The other tissues had a little or no eGFP expression.The cardiac funetion did not reveal significant difference between rAAV9-eGFP group and the control group after transfection(P>0.05).Conclusion rAAV9-eGFP gene can be stably and efficiently expressed in mouse heart,and has no toxic efflect on cardiac function. Key words: Adeno-associated virus serotype 9; Green fluorescent protein; Transfection; Cardiac funotion