title: [Effects of HCV core protein on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV) on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
  
  
  METHODS
  Huh7.5.1 cells were transfected with plasmid flag2B-core carrying HCV core gene, expression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF were measured by reverse transcription-polymorphism chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot. Enzyme link immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the level of VEGF in the supernatants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF mRNA and protein were upregulated after flag2B-core was transfected into Huh7.5.1 cells, and VEGF level in the supernatant was significant elevated as compared to controls [(654.5+/-43.7) pg/ml vs (365.9+/-26.8) pg/ml, t = 653.1%, P less than 0.01]. The expression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF mRNA and protein were downregulated after flag2B-core and HIF-1alpha siRNA were co-transfected into Huh7.5.1 cells, and VEGF level in the supernatant was significantly reduced as compared to controls [(389.2+/-29.6) pg/ml vs (768.8+/-47.3)pg/ml, t = 1330.22, P less than 0.01].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCV core protein enhances the expression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF. HCV may regulate the expression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF via the core protein.
authors.affiliation: Center for Gene Diagnosis, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan,China.
authors.forename: Xing-hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Cheng-liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014162:Transfection; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus