Renal artery injection for delivery of biological materials to the glomerulus

Abstract

Aim: We investigated whether injection of synthetic small interfering siRNAs via renal artery followed by electroporation could be effective in silencing specific genes in glomerulus.

Methods: Solution of siRNA targeting enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was injected via the renal artery of EGFP-transgenic rats followed by delivery of electric pulses.

Results: The delivery of siRNA reduced endogenous EGFP expression, mainly in glomerular mesangial cells.

Conclusion: Electroporation-mediated gene transfer system via renal artery in rats is very useful for the delivery of a range of different materials including cells, viruses and proteins. Here, we provide a step-by-step description of this perfusion method and a discussion of the key points for the success of the technique.