Efficient Adenovirus Gene Transfer Methods in Human Colonic Caco-2 Epithelial Cells Using Capric Acid

Biol Pharm Bull. 2015;38(8):1240-4. doi: 10.1248/bpb.b15-00105.

Abstract

Adenovirus (Ad) vectors are widely used in gene therapy and in vitro/in vivo gene transfer. However, Ad-mediated gene transfer in epithelial cells shows low efficiency, because Ad fiber cannot bind to the primary receptor, the coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR), present in tight junctions. Caco-2 monolayer cells cultured on Transwell-chamber plates for approximately 2 weeks are widely used for drug membrane permeation studies, but Ad-mediated gene transfer is difficult in Caco-2 monolayer cells. First, we examined the efficiency of gene transfer into Caco-2 monolayer cells. Luciferase production in cultured Caco-2 cells transduced with Ad vectors was 20-fold lower on day 12 than on day 1. In contrast, the expression of CAR protein in Caco-2 cells gradually increased along with the duration of culture. For efficient gene transfer into Caco-2 monolayer cells, the binding ability of Ad vectors with CAR was found to be important. Capric acid (C10), a medium-chain fatty acid is a tight-junction modulator used as a pharmaceutical agent. We found that a novel gene transfer method using transduction with Ad vectors in the presence of C10 led more efficiently to LacZ expression in Caco-2 monolayer cells than Ad vectors alone. The results of the present study indicate that C10 could be very useful for Ad-mediated gene transfer in human colonic Caco-2 epithelial cells.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae / genetics*
  • Adenoviridae Infections / metabolism
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein / metabolism*
  • Decanoic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Gene Transfer Techniques*
  • Genetic Therapy / methods
  • Genetic Vectors*
  • Humans
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Luciferases / metabolism
  • Tight Junctions*
  • Transduction, Genetic / methods

Substances

  • Coxsackie and Adenovirus Receptor-Like Membrane Protein
  • Decanoic Acids
  • decanoic acid
  • Luciferases