The various impacts of the hepatitis C virus core protein upon hepatic oxidative stress after common bile duct ligation and partial hepatectomy.
BACKGROUND
Although it is uncertain how the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein influences hepatic oxidative stress after partial hepatectomy and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) this may be crucial for the prognosis of patients with HCV infection who have undergone hepatic resection, or who have complications due to a biliary tract obstruction.


METHODS
A group of double transgenic mice (DTM) that express both the tetracycline transactivator (tTA) and the HCV core, with conditional, acute expression of the HCV core in the context of the mature liver were subjected to 43% partial hepatectomy and CBDL. The levels of thioredoxin-1, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) were evaluated in liver samples taken 3 days after the operations.


RESULTS
The DTM had significantly higher TBARS levels than mice that were transgenic for only tTA (i.e. single transgenic mice; STM) and non-transgenic mice (NTM) after a sham laparotomy, CBDL and partial hepatectomy. Of the DTM, the TBARS levels were higher in female mice than in males after a sham laparotomy (P = 0.02) and CBDL (P = 0.0001). 4-HNE staining data were compatible with these results. Furthermore, male DTM exhibited higher levels of thioredoxin-1 than female DTM after sham laparotomy (P = 0.012) and CBDL (P = 0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
The HCV core increases hepatic oxidative stress in vivo and female DTM are more vulnerable to the oxidative stress caused by acute core expression with, or without, CBDL. The fact that the female DTM had lower thioredoxin-1 levels may account for this observation.
Chang
Ming-Yu
MY
Division of Pediatric Critical Care and Emergency Medicine, Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Chen
Jeng-Chang
JC
Yeh
Chau-Ting
CT
Chiu
Cheng-Tang
CT
Lin
Deng-Yn
DY
Chang
Ming-Ling
ML
D000447:Aldehydes / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003135:Common Bile Duct / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008026:Ligation; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012737:Sex Factors; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000494:pharmacology; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D013879:Thioredoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D000447:Aldehydes; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; D013879:Thioredoxins; D013752:Tetracycline; C027576:4-hydroxy-2-nonenal