FIG. 3.

Role of NF-κB inhibition in TNF-α suppression of HBV replication. HepG2 cells were transfected with HBV 1.2-mer genomic DNA for 1 day and then treated for 4 days with the indicated dose of TNF-α. An expression plasmid for the IκB-SR superrepressor of NF-κB was included in the initial transfection as indicated. Cytoplasmic viral core particles were purified from equal numbers of cells, and associated HBV DNA was detected by Southern blot analysis. Northern blot analysis was done with poly(A)⁺ RNA extracted from equal numbers of cells in duplicate plates. Autoradiograms were quantified by densitometry of at least three independent experiments and normalized to the untreated control without IκB-SR (first lane). RC, relaxed circular; DL, double stranded linear; SS, single stranded linear.