FIG. 4.

Adefovir therapy decreases viral DNA synthesis in the liver but is not sufficient to eradicate viral infection. Total viral DNAs were extracted, including the replicative intermediates as well as viral CCC DNA (CCC). Three groups of animals were used: untreated control ducks, adefovir-treated ducks, and lamivudine-treated ducks. The animals were treated 1 day before and on the day of infection with 30 mg of adefovir/kg/day or 100 mg of lamivudine/kg/day, followed by a maintenance therapy of 15 mg of adefovir/kg/day or 50 mg/kg/day for 20 days. Half of the ducks were sacrificed at the end of treatment (A), and the other half were sacrificed at 3 weeks after the end of treatment (B). Relative band intensities for total DHBV DNA and for CCC DHBV DNA were quantified by PhosphoImager scanning for each animal and for each duck group; the results are presented in arbitrary units. RC, RC DNA; L, linear DNA; SS, single-stranded DNA.