Attenuation of the acute-phase response in thermally injured rats by cholesterol-containing cationic liposomes used as a delivery system for gene therapy

Abstract

Hypothesis: Cholesterol-containing cationic liposomes alone modulate the acute-phase response and cytokine expression in thermally injured rats and are an effective delivery system for gene therapy in trauma. Setting: Laboratory. Intervention: Fifty-six adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with a full-thickness scald burn covering 60% of total body surface area were randomly divided into 2 groups to receive either intravenous injections of cholesterol-containing cationic liposomes or saline (control). Main Outcome Measures: Body weights, muscle and liver dry-wet weights, serum levels of constitutive hepatic proteins, acute-phase protein levels, and cytokine levels were determined at 1, 2, 5, and 7 days after thermal injury. Results: Rats receiving cholesterol-containing cationic liposomes had less body weight loss, increased serum transferrin levels, and decreased serum α1-acid glycoprotein levels when compared with controls (P