Abstract

Introduction: Although it is uncertain how the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein influences hepatic oxidative stress after partial hepatectomy and common bile duct ligation (CBDL) this may be crucial for the prognosis of patients with HCV infection who have undergone hepatic resection, or who have complications due to a biliary tract obstruction.

Materials and methods: A group of double transgenic mice (DTM) that express both the tetracycline transactivator (tTA) and the HCV core, with conditional, acute expression of the HCV core in the context of the mature liver were subjected to 43% partial hepatectomy and CBDL. The levels of thioredoxin-1, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) were evaluated in liver samples taken 3 days after the operations.

Results: The DTM had significantly higher TBARS levels than mice that were transgenic for only tTA (i.e. single transgenic mice; STM) and non-transgenic mice (NTM) after a sham laparotomy, CBDL and partial hepatectomy. Of the DTM, the TBARS levels were higher in female mice than in males after a sham laparotomy (P = 0.02) and CBDL (P = 0.0001). 4-HNE staining data were compatible with these results. Furthermore, male DTM exhibited higher levels of thioredoxin-1 than female DTM after sham laparotomy (P = 0.012) and CBDL (P = 0.008).

Conclusions: The HCV core increases hepatic oxidative stress in vivo and female DTM are more vulnerable to the oxidative stress caused by acute core expression with, or without, CBDL. The fact that the female DTM had lower thioredoxin-1 levels may account for this observation.