btx 2针阵列电极由一个可复用的2针阵列电极柄及灭菌的一次性的2针阵列电极组件组成。电极间隙有两种规格，5mm间隙的电极及电极柄适用于小的肌肉块，如小鼠的胫骨肌，10mm间隙的电极及电极柄适用于大的肌肉块，如大鼠的腓肠肌。

在体内基因转染的非病毒技术中，直接将质粒dna注射入肌肉内是简单，经济及安全的方法。
the btx 2-needle array electrode is an in vivo style electrode specifically designed for muscle gene delivery. the electrode consists of a reusable delrin 2-needle array handle and sterile disposable two-needle array assemblies. the needle array assemblies are conveniently packaged in "six packs," allowing for guaranteed sterility, and designed to fit conveniently in a sterile hood. the needles themselves are made of medical grade stainless steel. grasping the needle array handle, simply position the handle over a needle array assembly and push to secure the needle array onto the handle. attach the handle to a btx pulse generator via the high voltage banana cables. remove the needle safety shield, place into the tissue, and deliver the pulse. discard the needle array and prepare for the next experiment. the 2-needle array comes in 5mm and 10mm electrode spacings. the model 530 handle works with the model 531 needle tips and is used for larger muscle masses, such as rat gastronemus. the model 532 handle works with the model 533 needle tips and is recommended for smaller muscle masses, such as mouse tibialis. other species and tissues may be electroporated with the 2-needle array.

applications

muscle in vivo gene delivery (ivgd) - among the non-viral techniques for gene transfer in vivo, the direct injection of plasmid dna into muscle is simple, inexpensive, and safe. aihara and miyazaki (1998)1 showed that by combining electroporation with dna injection, expression was enhanced 100 fold. their results demonstrated that gene transfer into muscle by electroporation in vivo is more efficient than intramuscular dna injection alone. mir et.al. (1999)2 used various types of electrodes to deliver genes into skeletal muscles of various species (rat, mice, rabbits, monkeys), resulting in 2 to 4-log fold increase in expression. dna vaccination by direct in vivo administration of plasmid-based dna vectors has proven to be very effective in animal models. scientists at genetronics, inc. have shown that electroporation enhances gene expression in muscle greatly, making it possible to induce immune response in large animals without using large amounts of dna. therefore, in vivo electroporation is proven to be especially useful at increasing effectiveness of dna vaccinations in large animals.3

other applications
2-needle array style electrodes have been used for a variety of applications. nakano et al. used a similar electrode with the t820 to deliver plasmid dna into mice tibialis muscle for gene therapy studies of cardiovascular disease.4 widera et al. used this electrode in various animals for delivery of plasmid dna which resulted in increased dna uptake.5 nishi used this type of electrode with the t820 to deliver a plasmid dna construct into rat gliomas, resulting in expression of beta galactosidase in the area between the electrodes.6 muramatsu used a similar electrode in his studies of livget techniques in mouse testis, concluding that electroporation is superior to microparticle bombardment.7

technical specifications


standard capabilities
voltage range: 0 - 500v   电压范围：0 - 500v 
pulse length range: 1µsec - 99msec in pbs   脉冲长度范围：1µsec - 99msec（在缓冲液中）
physical characteristics
electrode handles model 530 model 532   电极柄型号：530型 532型
handle length: 8 cm   电极柄长度：8cm  
handle material: delrin   电极柄材料：聚甲醛树脂 
electrode spacing: 10 mm 5 mm   电极柄插座间隙：10mm 5mm 
2-needle array assemblies model 531 model 533    2针针状电极型号：531型 533型
needle length: 20 cm    针状电极长度：20cm
needle material: stainless steel   针状电极材料：不锈钢
needle spacing: 10 mm 5 mm   针状电极间隙：10mm 5mm 
generator compatibility: ecm 830, 630, 395, 399, 600, t 820

ordering information

model desc-ription
530 model 530 2-needle array handle, 10mm spacing
531 model 531 2-needle array six pack sterile package of six 2-needle array electrode assemblies, 10mm spacing
532 model 532 2-needle array handle, 5mm spacing
533 model 533 2-needle array kit sterile package of six 2-needle array electrode assemblies, 5mm spacing
4001 enhancer 400/computer interface

references

aihara and miyazaki, nature biotechnology, 16: 867-870 (1998)
mir et al., pnas, 96: 4262-4267 (1999)
personal communication, dr. georg widera, genetronics, inc. (1999)
nakano et al., human gene therapy, 12: 1289-1297 (2001)
widera et al., the journal of immunology, 164: 4635-4640 (2000)
nishi et al., cancer research, 56: 1050-1055 (1996)
muramatsu et al., biochemical and biophysical research communications, 233: 45-49 (1997)