Abstract
The high molecular weight, double-stranded RNA polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (rIn·rCn) can be entrapped by large (0.2-0.8-µm-diameter) unilamellar phospholipid vesicles. Increased cellular uptake of rIn·rCn (5-10-fold) was observed when human and mouse cells were treated with the polynucleotide entrapped within vesicles, compared with the uptake of free rIn·rCn. Both rIn, and rCn were taken up equally by cells in the entrapped form, whereas cells took up more rIn, than rCn when treated with the free polynucleotide. Vesicle-entrapped rIn·rCn enhanced interferon induction and protection against vesicular stomatitis virus (5-10-fold) by cultured human cells, compared with free rIn·rCn at initially equal external concentrations. The results suggest that phospholipid vesicles can be used to potentiate the cellular uptake of nucleic acids in a functional form.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We acknowledge the technical assistance of Ms. R. Lazo, Ms. K. Caruana, and Ms. J. Ciszkowski.
- Copyright © 1977 by Academic Press, Inc.
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