2.2. Preparation and Administration of Plasmid DNA
The bicistron plasmid was developed as a result of our previous studies. Human cDNAs for HGF and VEGF165 were prepared as previously described [The plasmids were then injected intramuscularly into the ischemic limb above and below the knee region. Each patient in the gene-eligible group received 4 mg of bicistron plasmid (approximately 20 mL). Intramuscular injection sites were based on our previous studies and data from the literature [