TI:  Topical gene transfer into rat skin using electroporation.
AU:  Dujardin,-N; Van-Der-Smissen,-P; Preat,-V
AD:  Unite de Pharmacie Galenique, Universite catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
SO:  Pharm-Res. 2001 Jan; 18(1): 61-6
JN:  Pharmaceutical-research
PY:  2001
AB:  PURPOSE: To investigate whether electroporation can be used for topical gene delivery and for DNA expression in rat keratinocytes. METHODS: The localization of a fluorescent-labelled plasmid and the expression of a reporter gene (pEGFP-N1) coding for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in stripped skin were assessed by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). RESULTS: The plasmid penetrated into the epidermis within minutes after electroporation and entered the keratinocyte cytoplasm within hours. A localized expression of GFP was observed for at least 7 days in the epidermis. Skin viability was not compromised by electroporation. CONCLUSIONS: Electroporation enhances the delivery, and hence the expression, of topically applied plasmid DNA on the skin. It could be a promising alternative method to administer DNA, particularly for DNA vaccines, in the skin in vivo.