In vivo antiviral efficacy of prenylation inhibitors against hepatitis delta virus
J. Clin. Invest. Bruno B. Bordier, et al. 112:407 doi:10.1172/JCI17704 [Go to this article.]

Figure 1
Intrahepatic replication of HDV following hydrodynamic transfection. Mice transgenic for HBV were hydrodynamically transfected with vector DNA (pcDNA3) or a vector bearing HDV replication-inducing sequences [pCMV·HDVI(+)]. Seven days later, mice were sacrificed and liver samples were analyzed for HDV RNA and protein. (a) Samples of total liver RNA from a mouse transfected with pcDNA3 (lane 1) or with pCMV·HDVI(+) (lane 2) were analyzed for HDV genomic RNA using Northern blots. Positions of molecular-weight markers are on the left; arrow indicates position of the replicated 1.7-kb RNA genome. (b) Samples of total liver RNA from a mouse transfected with pcDNA3 (lane 1) or with pCMV·HDVI(+) (lane 2) were analyzed for delta antigen using Western blots. Positions of molecular-weight markers are on the left; arrow indicates position of delta antigen (δAg). (c) Representative time course for HDV replication in hydrodynamically transfected mice. Mice transgenic for HBV were hydrodynamically transfected with pcDNA3 (lane 1) or pCMV·HDVI(+) (lanes 2–4) and were sacrificed at day 2 (lane 2), day 4 (lane 3), or day 7 (lanes 1 and 4) after transfection. Liver samples were analyzed for HDV RNA using Northern blots. To account for potential differences in transfection efficiency, a plasmid encoding hAAT was included in the transfection, and HDV replication was detected in mice who had similar serum levels of hAAT on day 2 after transfection. (d and e) Liver sections from the same mice as in a were fixed in formalin and stained by immunohistochemistry for detection of HDV delta antigen. (d) Mouse transfected with pcDNA3. (e) Mouse transfected with pCMV·HDVI(+). Brown-red spots indicate characteristic nuclear staining pattern of delta antigen.