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Herpes simplex virus vector-mediated gene delivery of glutamic acid decarboxylase reduces detrusor overactivity in spinal cord-injured rats

Gene Therapy volume 16, pages 660–668 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

We examined whether replication-defective herpes simplex virus (HSV) vectors encoding the 67 kDa form of the glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67) gene product, the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesis enzyme, can suppress detrusor overactivity (DO) in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). One week after spinalization, HSV vectors expressing GAD and green fluorescent protein (GFP) (HSV-GAD) were injected into the bladder wall. Rats with SCI without HSV injection (HSV-untreated) and those injected with lacZ-encoding reporter gene HSV vectors (HSV-LacZ) were used as controls. Three weeks after viral injection, continuous cystometry was performed under awake conditions in all three groups. In the HSV-GAD group, the number and amplitude of non-voiding contractions (NVCs) were significantly decreased (40–45% and 38–40%, respectively) along with an increase in voiding efficiency, compared with HSV-untreated and HSV-LacZ groups, but micturition pressure was not different among the three groups. Intrathecal application of bicuculline partly reversed the decreased number and amplitude of NVCs, and decreased voiding efficiency in the HSV-GAD group. In the HSV-GAD group, GAD67 mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased in the L6-S1 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) compared with the HSV-LacZ group, while 57% of DRG cells were GFP-positive, and these neurons showed increased GAD67-like immunoreactivity compared with the HSV-LacZ group. These results indicate that GAD gene therapy effectively suppresses DO after SCI predominantly through the activation of spinal GABAA receptors. Thus, HSV-based GAD gene transfer to bladder afferent pathways may represent a novel approach for treatment of neurogenic DO.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NIH DK057267, DK068557, HD039768 and DK044935. We thank Vickie L Erickson, Ryuichi Kato and Kurumi Sasatomi for their excellent technical assistance, and also Ali Ozuer and Dave Kopp of the Vector Core for production and purification of the GAD and control vectors.

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Author notes

  1. M B Chancellor

    Present address: 5Current address: Department of Urology, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    M Miyazato, M B Chancellor & N Yoshimura

  2. Division of Urology, Department of Organ-Oriented Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan

    M Miyazato & K Sugaya

  3. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    W F Goins, D Wolfe, J R Goss & J C Glorioso

  4. Department of Pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    W C de Groat & N Yoshimura

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  1. M Miyazato
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Correspondence to N Yoshimura.

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Miyazato, M., Sugaya, K., Goins, W. et al. Herpes simplex virus vector-mediated gene delivery of glutamic acid decarboxylase reduces detrusor overactivity in spinal cord-injured rats. Gene Ther 16, 660–668 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/gt.2009.5

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