Hepatitis C virus infection down-regulates the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and carnitine palmitoyl acyl-CoA transferase 1A

Abstract

The impaired intrahepatic PPARalpha expression is associated with the pathogenic mechanism in hepatic injury during chronic HCV infection. HCV infection reduced the expression of PPARalpha and CPT1A at the level of not only mRNAs but also proteins. PPARalpha plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic HCV infection, but the impaired function of this nuclear receptor in HCV infection needs further studies.