A Novel Immunocompetent Rat Model of HCV Infection and Hepatitis

Wu, George Y.; Konishi, Masayoshi; Walton, Cherie M.; Olive, D; Hayashi, Kazuhiko; Wu, Catherine H.

doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2005.03.015

Cited by 44 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…However, experiments using chimpanzees are both expensive and ethically problematic. To date, three small-animal models of HCV infection have been reported: the immunotolerized rat model, Trimera mouse model, and uPA/SCID mouse model (16,25,39). However, these models are difficult to prepare, and the abnormal immune status of each greatly limits their application.…”

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confidence: 99%

Tupaia CD81, SR-BI, Claudin-1, and Occludin Support Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Tong

Zhu

Xia

et al. 2011

J Virol

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related research has been hampered by the lack of appropriate small-animal models. It has been reported that tree shrews, or tupaias (Tupaia belangeri), can be infected with serum-derived HCV. However, these reports do not firmly establish the tupaia as a reliable model of HCV infection. Human CD81, scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI), claudin 1 (CLDN1), and occludin (OCLN) are considered essential receptors or coreceptors for HCV cell entry. In the present study, the roles of these tupaia orthologs in HCV infection were assessed. Both CD81 and SR-BI of tupaia were found to be able to bind with HCV envelope protein 2 (E2). In comparison with human CD81, tupaia CD81 exhibited stronger binding activity with E2 and increased HCV pseudoparticle ( Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease. A total of 170 million individuals worldwide are estimated to be infected with HCV and are at risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (32,33). Unfortunately, there is presently no effective HCV vaccine available, and current treatments are far from satisfactory (22, 28). The development of antiviral therapies and effective vaccines has been hampered greatly by the lack of a convenient small-animal model. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are the only nonhuman primate host serving as an HCV infection model. However, experiments using chimpanzees are both expensive and ethically problematic. To date, three small-animal models of HCV infection have been reported: the immunotolerized rat model, Trimera mouse model, and uPA/SCID mouse model (16,25,39). However, these models are difficult to prepare, and the abnormal immune status of each greatly limits their application.The tree shrew or tupaia (Tupaia belangeri) is a small, squirrel-like mammal that is closely related to primates (6). Since the 1980s, tupaias have been used as an animal model of various infectious agents and their associated diseases. Tupaia has been shown to be susceptible to a variety of human viruses, including herpes simplex virus and hepatitis B virus (HBV) (9,38). Early in 1998 it was reported that inoculation with HCV RNA-positive serum could lead to short-term viremia and the appearance of anti-HCV IgG in tupaia (40). Furthermore, primary tupaia hepatocytes (PTHs) can be infected in vitro with serum derived from chronic hepatitis C patients (2, 18, 21, 36), although it is not clear whether the viral RNA measured is due to de novo production and/or from the virus inoculum. Recently, independent observations showed that inoculating tupaia with hepatitis C patient serum or viral particles reconstituted from full-length HCV cDNA caused mild hepatitis and intermittent viremia (1). However, these reports do not firmly establish the tupaia as a reliable model of HCV replication and pathogenesis. Importantly, patient sera often exhibit very weak infectivity (15,36). Although these results show promise, additional work has to be conducted to evaluate the value of pursuing the tupaia system in HCV research.The e...

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confidence: 99%

Tupaia CD81, SR-BI, Claudin-1, and Occludin Support Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Tong

Zhu

Xia

et al. 2011

J Virol

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“…Hence, animal models for graft tolerance may be established by induction of fetal rat immunotolerance against human hepatocytes by using human fetal hepatocytes and then transplantation of human hepatocytes into normal rat liver [16] . An animal model of tolerant rats with chimeric human hepatocytes was established based on the normal immune system, and the chimeric cells in the rat liver were normal human hepatocytes, which are susceptible to many hepatitis-causing agents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proliferation of L02 human hepatocytes in tolerized genetically immunocompetent rats

Lin

Mao²,

Wang³

et al. 2008

WJG

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AIM:To investigate whether human hepatocytes could proliferate after transplantation to normal immunocompetent rats treated with 2-acetaminofluorene or Retrorsine and partial hepatectomy. METHODS:L02 hepatocyte-tolerant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with Retrorsine, 2-acetaminofluorene or normal saline. L02 hepatocytes were then transplanted via the spleen. Human albumin and its mRNA, specific proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), L02 hepatocyte dynamic distribution, number density and area density of PCNA-positive cells in the liver were determined. RESULTS:All the examined indicators were not significantly different between the rats treated with 2-acetaminofluorene and normal saline, which was not the case with rats treated with Retrorsine. A dynamic distribution of L02 hepatocytes in the rat liver was detected from wk 1 to mo 6 after transplantation in the Retrorsine group and from wk 1 to 10 in the 2-acetaminofluorene group. Human albumin and its mRNA were detected from wk 2 to mo 6 in the Retrorsine group and from wk 1 to 8 in the 2-acetaminofluorene group. Specific human PCNA was detected in the rat liver from wk 2 to mo 6 in the Retrorsine group and from wk 2 to 6 in the 2-acetaminofluorene group. Human albumin and its mRNA contents as well as the number of PCNA positive cells reached a peak at wk 4. CONCLUSION:L02 human hepatocytes could not proliferate significiantly after transplantation to the normal, immunocompetent rats treated with 2-acetaminofluorene.L02 human hepatocytes can survive for 10 wk after transplantation and express human albumin for 8 wk. L02 human hepatocytes can proliferate and express human albumin for 6 mo after transplantation to the rats treated with Retrorsine. The chimeric L02 human hepatocytes, which then underwent transplantation into tolerant rats, were normal in morphogenesis, biochemistry and function.

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“…Interestingly, immunemediated liver damage was demonstrated by serum aminotransferase elevations and mononuclear cell infiltrations in the liver. 64 Although the presence of functional rat immune cells is a major advantage, a genuine adaptive immune response toward HCV is not expected in this model, because rat-human major histocompatibility complex mismatches likely precludes the recognition of presented HCV antigens. Furthermore, antiviral testing will be difficult with the current marginal degree of chimerism and resulting low viremia levels.…”

Section: Small-animal Models For Hcv Infectionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Experimental models for hepatitis C viral infection

Boonstra¹,

Laan²,

Vanwolleghem³

et al. 2009

Hepatology

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of chronic liver disease. The majority of infected individuals develop a persistent infection, which is associated with a high risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Since its discovery 20 years ago, progress in our understanding of this virus has been suboptimal due to the lack of good model systems. However, in the past decade this has greatly accelerated with the development of various in vitro cell culture systems and in vivo small-animal models. These systems have made a major impact on the field of HCV research, and have provided important breakthroughs in our understanding of HCV infection and replication. Importantly, the in vitro cell culture systems and the small-animal models have allowed preclinical testing of numerous novel antiviral compounds for the treatment of chronic HCV infection. In this article, we give an overview of current models, discuss their limitations, and provide future perspectives for research directed at the prevention and cure of hepatitis C. (HEPATOLOGY 2009;50:1646-1655.) Hepatitis C Virus Pathology and BiologyThe hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered a successful pathogen in establishing persistent infections by evading the immune system. Only a fraction of acutely infected individuals are able to clear the infection spontaneously, whereas about 80% of the infected individuals develop a chronic infection. 1,2 The symptoms are initially mild in these persistently infected patients, and it may take decades before the serious consequences of chronic HCV infection become apparent. Patients with chronic HCV are at increased risk for developing liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, these longterm complications of chronic HCV infection are the leading indication for liver transplantation. 3,4 Because of the high incidence of new infections by blood transfusions in the 1980s before discovery of the virus, and because morbidity associated with chronic HCV infections generally takes decades to develop, it is expected that the burden of disease in the near future will rise dramatically.HCV is an enveloped flavivirus, with a positivestranded RNA genome of approximately 9600 nucleotides and is composed of a single open reading frame, which encodes a polyprotein precursor of approximately 3000 amino acids. The coding region is flanked by 5Ј and 3Ј noncoding regions, which are important for the regulation of genomic duplication as well as initiation of translation. The single polyprotein is cleaved by host and viral proteases into individual structural and nonstructural (NS) proteins (Fig. 1A). Replication of the HCV genome involves the synthesis of a full-length negative-stranded RNA intermediate, which in turn provides a template for the de novo production of positive-stranded RNA. Both these synthesis steps are mediated by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase NS5B. 5-7 NS5B lacks proofreading abilities, and this leads to a high mutation rate and the generation of numerous quasispecies. ...

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A Novel Immunocompetent Rat Model of HCV Infection and Hepatitis

Cited by 44 publications

References 21 publications

Tupaia CD81, SR-BI, Claudin-1, and Occludin Support Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Tupaia CD81, SR-BI, Claudin-1, and Occludin Support Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Proliferation of L02 human hepatocytes in tolerized genetically immunocompetent rats

Experimental models for hepatitis C viral infection

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