Figure 7.

Effects of a recombinant adenovirus expressing shRNA on HCV core protein expression in CN2‐29 transgenic mice. CN2‐29 transgenic mice were administered with 1 × 10⁹ PFU of AxCANCre combined with 6.7 × 10⁸ PFU of AxshRNA‐HCV, AxshRNA or AxCAw1. The mice were killed on day 4 after injection. (a) Quantification of HCV core protein in liver. Liver tissues were homogenized and used to determine the amount of HCV core protein. Each assay was done in triplicate, and the values are displayed as mean ± SD. Asterisk indicates P‐value of less than 0.05. (b) Expression levels of mouse interferon‐beta (white bars) and Mx1 (shaded bars) mRNA in the mouse liver tissue were quantified by the real‐time RT‐PCR analyses. Primers used were as follows: mouse interferon‐beta sense, 5′‐ACA GCC CTC TCC ATC AAC TA‐3′; mouse interferon‐beta antisense, 5′‐CCC TCC AGT AAT AGC TCT TC‐3′; mouse Mx1 sense, 5′‐AGG AGT GGA GAG GCA AAG TC‐3′; mouse Mx1 antisense, 5′‐CAC ATT GCT GGG GAC TAC CA‐3′; mouse beta‐actin sense, 5′‐ACT CCT ATG TGG GTG ACG AG‐3′; mouse beta‐actin antisense, 5′‐ATA GCC CTC GTA GAT GGG CA‐3′. Adeno (‐) denotes mice without adenovirus administration. (c) Immunofluorescence microscopy of HCV core protein in the liver tissue. Liver sections of mice were stained using rabbit anticore polyclonal antibody and normal rabbit IgG as a negative control. The upper photographs were obtained at 400× magnification, and the lower photographs were at 1000×. (d) Immunofluorescence microscopy of albumin in liver. Liver sections from the mice were fixed and stained using rabbit antialbumin antibody and normal rabbit IgG as a negative control.