FIG. 3.

Antiviral effect of oral TDF administration on intrahepatic WHV replication in chronic WHV carrier woodchucks. Values for individual woodchucks in each treatment group are displayed in first five panels. Mean values for all of the experimental groups are compared in the last panel (vertical lines denote standard deviations). Each experimental group contained four woodchucks. The asterisk within the last panel indicates that the mean value of intrahepatic WHV replicative intermediates for woodchucks treated with TDF at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg/day was statistically different from placebo-treated control woodchucks at week 8 (P < 0.01). WHV RI, hepatic WHV DNA replicative intermediates. Levels of hepatic cellular DNA were quantified by hybridization to a commercial β-actin gene probe (Oncor, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD) by Southern blot hybridization techniques as described in the text.