Name: methods and tips for intravenous administration of adeno-associated virus to rats and evaluation of central nervous system transduction
Uploaded: 2017-08-25T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Methods and Tips for Intravenous Administration of Adeno-associated Virus to Rats and Evaluation of Central Nervous System Transduction at JoVE.com

This work was funded by the ALS Association, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc., Meira GTx, and a charitable donation for ALS research from Thomas Lawson, for which we are grateful. We thank Elysse Orchard and Donna Burney for advice and training. JAS was supported by the Lied Foundation and National Institutes of Health grant GM103418.

All procedures followed the appropriate NIH guidelines. All of the procedures followed animal protocols that were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. Female Sprague-Dawley rats at 6 weeks of age were used for this procedure.
1. Determine the doses/volumes of vector needed
<ol>
	<li>Weigh the rats to be injected and determine the amount of viral vector needed for each animal based on the titer (concentration) of the vector preparation. Us...

<ol>
	<li>Foust, K., Nurre, E., Montgomery, C., Hernandez, A., Chan, C., Kaspar, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intravascular+AAV9+preferentially+targets+neonatal+neurons+and+adult+astrocytes.">Intravascular AAV9 preferentially targets neonatal neurons and adult astrocytes.</a> Nat. Biotechnol. 27 (1), 59-65 (2009).</li><li>Duque, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intravenous+administration+of+self-complementary+AAV9+enables+transgene+delivery+to+adult+motor+neurons.">Intravenous administration of self-complementary AAV9 enables transgene delivery to adult motor neurons.</a> Mol. Ther. 17 (7), 1187-1196 (2009).</li><li>Gombash Lampe, S., Kaspar, B., Foust, K. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intravenous+injections+in+neonatal+mice.">Intravenous injections in neonatal mice.</a> J. Vis. Exp. (93), e52037 (2014).</li><li>Wang, D., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Expansive+gene+transfer+in+the+rat+CNS+rapidly+produces+amyotrophic+lateral+sclerosis+relevant+sequelae+when+TDP-43+is+overexpressed.">Expansive gene transfer in the rat CNS rapidly produces amyotrophic lateral sclerosis relevant sequelae when TDP-43 is overexpressed.</a> Mol. Ther. 18 (12), 2064-2074 (2010).</li><li>Dayton, R., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Selective+forelimb+impairment+in+rats+expressing+a+pathological+TDP-43+25+kDa+C-terminal+fragment+to+mimic+amyotrophic+lateral+sclerosis.">Selective forelimb impairment in rats expressing a pathological TDP-43 25 kDa C-terminal fragment to mimic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.</a> Mol. Ther. 21 (7), 1324-1334 (2013).</li><li>Jackson, K., Dayton, R., Klein, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=AAV9+supports+wide-scale+transduction+of+the+CNS+and+TDP-43+disease+modeling+in+adult+rats.">AAV9 supports wide-scale transduction of the CNS and TDP-43 disease modeling in adult rats.</a> Mol. Ther. Methods Clin. Dev. 2, 15036 (2015).</li><li>Jackson, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Preservation+of+forelimb+function+by+UPF1+gene+therapy+in+a+rat+model+of+TDP-43-induced+paralysis.">Preservation of forelimb function by UPF1 gene therapy in a rat model of TDP-43-induced paralysis.</a> Gene Therapy. 22 (1), 20-28 (2015).</li><li>Jackson, K., Dayton, R., Deverman, B., Klein, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Better+targeting,+better+efficiency+for+wide-scale+neuronal+transduction+with+the+synapsin+promoter+and+AAV-PHP.B.">Better targeting, better efficiency for wide-scale neuronal transduction with the synapsin promoter and AAV-PHP.B.</a> Front. Mol. Neurosci. 9, 116 (2016).</li><li>Jackson, K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Severe+respiratory+changes+at+end+stage+in+a+FUS-induced+disease+state+in+adult+rats.">Severe respiratory changes at end stage in a FUS-induced disease state in adult rats.</a> BMC Neuroscience. 17 (1), 69 (2016).</li><li>Xu, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CMV-beta-actin+promoter+directs+higher+expression+from+an+adeno-associated+viral+vector+in+the+liver+than+the+cytomegalovirus+or+elongation+factor+1+alpha+promoter+and+results+in+therapeutic+levels+of+human+factor+X+in+mice.">CMV-beta-actin promoter directs higher expression from an adeno-associated viral vector in the liver than the cytomegalovirus or elongation factor 1 alpha promoter and results in therapeutic levels of human factor X in mice.</a> Hum Gene Ther. 12 (5), 563-573 (2001).</li><li>Jackson, K., Dayton, R., Klein, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+vector+&amp;#34;magic+bullet&amp;#34;:+targeted+expression+in+the+central+nervous+system+after+peripheral+delivery+using+the+synapsin+promoter.">Gene vector &amp;#34;magic bullet&amp;#34;: targeted expression in the central nervous system after peripheral delivery using the synapsin promoter.</a> Expert Opin Ther Targets. 20 (10), 1153-1154 (2016).</li><li>van Hulst, R., Klein, J., Lachmann, B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gas+embolism:+pathophysiology+and+treatment.">Gas embolism: pathophysiology and treatment.</a> Clin. Physiol. Funct. Imaging. 23 (5), 237-246 (2003).</li></ol>

A variety of delivery routes have been tested for AAV vectors: intra-parenchymal, intra-cerebroventricular, intra-thecal, intravenous, intranasal, intra-muscular, etc. Each route may have specific advantages as well as drawbacks. Tail vein administration of AAV to adult rats is a reliable method for achieving consistent transduction of the CNS. The peripheral injection method avoids the introduction of an injection cannula into the CNS tissues and is therefore minimally invasive. The efficient CNS expression that can be ...

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are indispensable tools for CNS research because they are so efficient for transducing neurons in vivo. AAV vectors are very versatile for studying different transgenes and protein isoforms, different tissues, different host species, and different routes of administration. For instance, AAV can be administered to mice by a peripheral, relatively non-invasive, intravenous injection to transduce neurons throughout the CNS as first described in Foust et al. and Duque et al. (see JOVE paper by Gombash et al. (2014)).1,2,3 This gene delivery approach is used in rats to efficiently express either green fluorescent protein (GFP) or the ALS related protein, transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) in the CNS.4,5,6,7,8,9 Working in rats is significant because the rat&#39;s physiologic and metabolic parameters are closer to humans as compared to mice and there are behavioral and toxicological assays designed specifically for rats. Furthermore, more transgenic rat lines are becoming available that can be utilized in AAV gene transfer studies.
Methods are detailed for expansive CNS gene transfer in the rat, and rapid, reliable quantification of the outcomes. Wide-scale CNS transduction is used to mimic the symptomatology of ALS in rats by expressing TDP-43 throughout the spinal cord. The method is tail vein injections of the TDP-43 vector to young adult rats as used in Jackson et al.6,8,9 After several weeks, TDP-43-induced motor deficits are scored by two methods: escape reflex and rotarod as used in Dayton et al. and Jackson et al.5,6,7,9 For the control GFP vector, in post-mortem analysis, the fluorescent area of the cerebellum is calculated as an index of transduction efficiency as used in Jackson et al.6,8 The analysis of cerebellum has proven to be a rapid and reliable index of the degree of CNS transduction after peripheral gene delivery and should be applicable to a variety of approaches attempting peripheral-to-central gene transfer.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Scale</td>
			<td>Pelouze</td>
			<td>SP5</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Nalgene bucket</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>12014000</td>
			<td>4000 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microcentrifuge tube</td>
			<td>USA Scientific</td>
			<td>1615-5500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lactated Ringer&#39;s Solution</td>
			<td>Baxter Healthcare</td>
			<td>0338-0114-04</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mini vortexer</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>128101</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge</td>
			<td>Eppendorf</td>
			<td>22624415</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Laboratory film</td>
			<td>Bemis</td>
			<td>PM996</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1-mL syringe</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>309626</td>
			<td>Comes with a 25g needle attached. 
			Replace with 27-30g needle for injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>30g needle</td>
			<td>BD</td>
			<td>305106</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Isoflurane</td>
			<td>Piramal Healthcare</td>
			<td>66794-013-25</td>
			<td>Isoflurane USP 250 mL</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Anesthesia mask</td>
			<td>Kopf Instruments</td>
			<td>906</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gauze</td>
			<td>Henry Schein</td>
			<td>100-2524</td>
			<td>2&#34; x 2&#34; (5cm x 5cm)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pipet tips</td>
			<td>USA Scientific</td>
			<td>1111-0816</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Micropipet</td>
			<td>Gilson</td>
			<td>4642080</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gas anesthesia vaporizer</td>
			<td>SurgiVet</td>
			<td>4214322</td>
			<td>Classic T3</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gas anesthesia scavenger</td>
			<td>SurgiVet</td>
			<td>32373B10</td>
			<td>Enviro-PURE</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Heating pad</td>
			<td>Sears</td>
			<td>17280</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bench pad</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>56617-006</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Rotarod</td>
			<td>Panlab/Harvard Apparatus</td>
			<td>76-0772</td>
			<td>4 rats/ 4 mice</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>70% Ethanol</td>
			<td>Decon Laboratories, Inc.</td>
			<td>2401</td>
			<td>140 proof</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>70% Isopropanol</td>
			<td>VWR</td>
			<td>89108-160</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Scion Image</td>
			<td>Scion Corporation</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GFP Tag Polyclonal Antibody</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>A11122</td>
			<td>Primary Antibody - 1:500 dilution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>AlexaFluor 488</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>A11070</td>
			<td>Secondary Antibody - 1:300 dilution</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Axioskop 40 microscope</td>
			<td>Zeiss</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

methods and tips for intravenous administration of adeno-associated virus to rats and evaluation of central nervous system transduction

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are a key reagent in the neurosciences for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), optogenetics, cre-lox targeting, etc. The purpose of this manuscript is to aid the investigator attempting expansive central nervous system (CNS) gene transfer in the rat via tail vein injection of AAV. Wide-scale expression is relevant for conditions with widespread pathology, and a rat model is significant due to its greater size and physiologic similarities to humans compared to mice. In this example application, a wide-scale neuronal transduction is used to mimic a neurodegenerative disease that affects the entire spinal cord, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The efficient wide-scale CNS transduction can also be used to deliver therapeutic protein factors in pre-clinical studies. After a post-injection expression interval of several weeks, the effects of the transduction are evaluated. For a green fluorescent protein (GFP) control vector, the amount of GFP in the cerebellum is estimated quickly and reliably by a basic imaging program. For motor disease phenotypes that are induced by the ALS related protein transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43), the deficits are scored by escape reflex and rotarod. Beyond disease modeling and gene therapy, there are diverse potential applications for the wide-scale gene targeting described here. The expanded use of this method will aid in expediting hypothesis testing in the neurosciences and neurogenetics.

TDP-43 induced motor impairments should arise within 2 - 6 weeks depending on the dose of the AAV TDP-43 used (Figure 1). Unsuccessful tail vein injections will result in partial or no impairments; the AAV must reach the bloodstream to produce the effect. A successful injection of AAV GFP will result in GFP expression throughout the brain and spinal cord in a vector-dose dependent manner. When using the strong recombinant promoter to drive expression, the cyt...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Methods and Tips for Intravenous Administration of Adeno-associated Virus to Rats and Evaluation of Central Nervous System Transduction at JoVE.com

Methods and Tips for Intravenous Administration of Adeno-associated Virus to Rats and Evaluation of Central Nervous System Transduction

Methods for a wide-scale central nervous system gene delivery in the rat are covered. In this example, the purpose is to mimic a disease that affects the entire spinal cord. The widespread transduction can be used to deliver a therapeutic protein to the CNS from a one-time, peripheral administration.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are a key reagent in the neurosciences for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), ...

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