FIG 4.

Cytotoxicity in vitro and acute toxicity in vivo of HP-HSA and its thermostability. (A) The cytotoxicity of HP-HSA or unmodified HSA to HuH-7 cells was determined by a cytotoxicity assay. (B) The weight change ratios for mice treated as described in the legend to Fig. 3 were recorded up to day 28 postinjection. The error bars indicate standard deviations. (C) The structures of H&E-stained sections of livers and kidneys were determined at day 28 postinjection. (D) HP-HSA-treated samples were stored in PBS at different temperatures (4, 25, 37, or 45°C) for 1 to 8 weeks before their inhibition of Zaire PsV (a) or Sudan PsV (b) entry into HuH-7 cells was evaluated. Especially, 45°C was reported to be the highest temperature recorded in all cities in Africa in 2014 (as reported by the Weather China website [http://www.weather.com.cn/]). All experiments were performed in triplicate, and the error bars indicate standard deviations.