Figure 4

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) interference with transgene expression in mice. A) Sequential follow-up by bioluminescence of hepatic luciferase expression following an i.v. dose of 5x10¹² genome copies of rAAV5-luciferase/kg in BALB/c mice with or without immunosuppressants at the indicated time points. B) The left graph represents luciferase expression measured as bioluminescence in the livers of Rag−/−, Rag−/−IL-2Rγ−/− and wild type syngeneic BALB/c mice 3 weeks after vector administration. The right graph shows proviral DNA content assessed by quantitative PCR in the liver of the same animals. C) The left graph represents sequential follow-up of hepatic luciferase expression following rAAV5-luciferase/kg injection in BALB/c mice and Rag−/− mice. Four weeks following vector administration daily MMF was given for 15 days to the indicated groups. The right graph shows vector DNA quantification in the liver when mice were sacrificed three days after MMF cessation (45 days after vector infusion). ++, P < 0.01 versus wild type mice without immunosuppression.