1. A mouse model for studying the clearance of hepatitis B virus in vivo using a luciferase reporter
- Author
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Hu Yan, Jianchun Peng, Qiuxia Fu, Yang-gen Zhang, Yong Zhou, Juan Du, Shuaizheng Jia, Xiao-hui Wang, Zhen-nan Yuan, Shaoduo Yan, Lin-sheng Zhan, Qianqian Zhou, and Sheng-qiang Liang
- Subjects
Male ,HBsAg ,Mouse ,Gastroenterology and hepatology ,lcsh:Medicine ,Virus Replication ,medicine.disease_cause ,Hepatitis ,Mice ,Genes, Reporter ,Luciferases, Firefly ,Promoter Regions, Genetic ,lcsh:Science ,Multidisciplinary ,virus diseases ,Animal Models ,Viral Load ,Hepatitis B ,Hepatitis B Core Antigens ,Molecular Imaging ,Infectious hepatitis ,HBcAg ,Liver ,Models, Animal ,Medicine ,Infectious diseases ,Viral load ,Research Article ,Hepatitis B virus ,Hepatitis B vaccine ,Genetic Vectors ,Viral diseases ,Biology ,Transfection ,Microbiology ,Injections ,Model Organisms ,Virology ,medicine ,Animals ,Bioluminescence imaging ,Luciferase ,Liver diseases ,Reporter gene ,lcsh:R ,Molecular biology ,digestive system diseases ,Animal Models of Infection ,DNA, Viral ,Luminescent Measurements ,Hydrodynamics ,lcsh:Q - Abstract
Hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection remains a global problem, despite the effectiveness of the Hepatitis B vaccine in preventing infection. The resolution of Hepatitis B virus infection has been believed to be attributable to virus-specific immunity. In vivo direct evaluation of anti-HBV immunity in the liver is currently not possible. We have developed a new assay system that detects HBV clearance in the liver after the hydrodynamic transfer of a reporter gene and over-length, linear HBV DNA into hepatocytes, followed by bioluminescence imaging of the reporter gene (Fluc). We employed bioluminescence detection of luciferase expression in HBV-infected hepatocytes to measure the Hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg)-specific immune responses directed against these infected hepatocytes. Only HBcAg-immunized, but not mock-treated, animals decreased the amounts of luciferase expression, HBsAg and viral DNA from the liver at day 28 after hydrodynamic infection with over-length HBV DNA, indicating that control of luciferase expression correlates with viral clearance from infected hepatocytes.
- Published
- 2013