NAKED DNA DELIVERED INTRAPORTALLY EXPRESSES EFFICIENTLY IN HEPATOCYTES

Naked plasmid DNA-in hypertonic solutions was injected intraportally i n mice whose hepatic veins were transiently occluded. High levels of l uciferase expression and beta-galactosidase expression in 1% of the he patocytes throughout the entire liver were achieved using 100 mu g of the respective plasmid vector. Two days after the intraportal injectio n of 100 mu g of pCMVGH, the mean hGH serum concentration was 65 ng/ml +/- 26 (n = 7) which is approximately 50-fold above normal baseline l evels. These unprecedented levels of foreign gene expression from nake d plasmid DNA document the ability of parenchymal cells in vivo to tak e up naked DNA following intravascular delivery.