Fig. 1.

Inducing karyolysis by DNase γ expression. (a) Time course of hydrodynamic injection and acetaminophen (APAP) treatment. DNase γ^−/− mice were injected with expression vectors, control vector or DNase γ expression vector (pDNase γ), intravenously at 0 hr and APAP intraperitoneally at 24 hr, and then sacrificed at 48 hr. Mice were fasted for 12 hr before APAP injection. As the control, mice without plasmid injection were used. (b) DNase γ expression in a pDNase γ-injected mouse was confirmed by RT-PCR (right). No expression was detected in a control-vector-injected mouse (left). Gapdh expression was the loading control. (c) Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of mouse liver sections from WT (panel1) and DNase γ^−/− (panels 2–4) mice. All mice were treated with APAP and some mice (panels 3 and 4) were pre-injected with expression vectors, control vector (panel 3) or pDNase γ (panel 4). Mice without plasmid injection were the control (panels 1 and 2). All treated liver showed necrosis of hepatocytes surrounding central veins. Karyolysis was induced in the hepatocytes of WT mice (panel 1, arrow) and those of DNase γ^−/− mice injected with pDNase γ (panel 4, arrows). Magnified images were shown in insets. Asterisk (*), central vein. Scale bar, 200 µm.