292. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2003 Oct 1;57(2):563-72.
Soluble TGFbeta type II receptor gene therapy ameliorates acute radiation-induced
pulmonary injury in rats.
Rabbani ZN(1), Anscher MS, Zhang X, Chen L, Samulski TV, Li CY, Vujaskovic Z.
Author information:
(1)Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
27710, USA.
PURPOSE: To assess whether administration of recombinant human adenoviral vector,
which carries soluble TGFbeta1 Type II receptor (TbetaRII) gene, might reduce the
availability of active TGFbeta1 and thereby protect the lung from
radiation-induced injury.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: Female Fisher 344 rats were given a single 30 Gy dose of
right hemithoracic irradiation 24 h after the injections of control (AdGFP) or
treatment (AdexTbetaRII-Fc) vectors. Different end points were assessed to look
for lung tissue damage.
RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the plasma level of soluble TbetaRII
24 h and 48 h after injection of treatment vector. In the radiation (RT) +
AdexTbetaRII-Fc group, there was a significant reduction in respiratory rate at 4
weeks after treatment as compared to the RT-alone group. Histologic results
revealed a significant reduction in lung damage and decrease in the number and
activity of macrophages in the RT + AdexTbetaRII-Fc group as compared to the
RT-alone group. The tissue level of active TGFbeta1 was significantly reduced in
rats receiving RT + AdexTbetaRII-Fc treatment. There was also an upregulation of
transmembrane TbetaRII in lung tissue in the RT-alone group as compared to the RT
+ gene therapy rats.
CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the ability of AdexTbetaRII-Fc gene therapy to
induce an increase in circulating levels of soluble receptors, to reduce the
tissue level of active TGFbeta1, and consequently to ameliorate acute
radiation-induced lung injury.
PMID: 12957270 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]