Topological and evolutional relationships between HCV core protein and hepatic lipid vesicles: Studies in vitro and in conditionally transgenic mice

Abstract

The core protein was readily detected and morphologically associated with steatosis in individual hepatocytes both in vitro and in vivo. In vivo, oxidative stress caused by the core potentially reduced the number of core positive hepatocytes and in parallel the level of steatosis. To our knowledge, this is the first animal model that directly shows topological relationship between HCV core and hepatic lipid vesicles.