Possible role of cytotoxic T cells in acute liver injury in hepatitis C virus cDNA transgenic mice mediated by Cre/loxP system.

A line of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transgenic mice was established previously that was mediated by Cre/loxP system using HCV cDNA, including core, E1, E2 and NS2 genes. Intravenous infection of a recombinant adenovirus that expresses Cre DNA recombinase (AxCANCre) induced HCV structural protein expression in the liver of transgenic mice. HCV core protein production and transgene recombination in the mouse liver were serially evaluated after AxCANCre infusion. Core proteins were expressed efficiently and transgene was almost completely recombined in the liver of mice after 3 days and then the levels of both core protein production and transgene recombination decreased continuously for 28 days. However, 30.6% of the transgene recombination remained at 28 days and only 2.7% of core production remained at 28 days after infection. Compared with nontransgenic controls, the serum alanine aminotransferase levels in transgenic mice were significantly higher 10, 14, and 21 days after adenovirus infection. Histological scoring also indicated severe pathological changes in the liver of transgenic mice after adenovirus infection. AxCANCre infusion increased CD8+ lymphocyte infiltration into the liver of transgenic mice compared with that of non-transgenic controls. Furthermore, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) isolated from transgenic mice during liver injury were specific for the HCV proteins. These results suggest that HCV structural proteins expressed in the liver of transgenic mice enhanced liver injury. HCV-specific CTLs may be to enhance hepatitis. Thus, the present HCV transgenic mouse model provides a useful model of liver injury due to HCV, and the host immune response may play a pivotal role(s) in the pathogenesis of HCV.