Comparison of the efficiency and toxicity of sonoporation with branched polyethylenimine-mediated gene transfection in various cultured cell lines

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate transfection efficiency and safety for gene delivery by sonoporation in comparison with cationic polymer gene carrier branched polyethylenimine (BPEI). METHODS: The cDNA expressing VEGF(165) was cloned under chicken beta-actin promoter. The plasmid DNA was transfected into the CHO, HEK293, and NIH3T3 cells using microbubble-based sonoporation and BPEI (25 kDa) under various conditions. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the expressed protein level. Cytotoxicities of transfection methods were compared by Cell Counting Kit-8. RESULTS: At 1 MHz intensity, transfection efficiency of sonoporation was enhanced by microbubble concentration with no detrimental effects. By contrast, BPEI exacerbated cell viability, despite its high transgene expression efficiency. CONCLUSION: Sonoporation gene therapy might be the safest technique to be used in actual clinical practice.