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World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2011; 17(20): 2515-2519
Published online May 28, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i20.2515
Published online May 28, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i20.2515
Animal models for studying hepatitis C and alcohol effects on liver
David F Mercer, Department of Surgery Liver/Small Bowel Transplant Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 983285 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3285, United States
Author contributions: Mercer DF wrote this paper.
Correspondence to: David F Mercer, MD, PhD, Director, Intestinal Rehabilitation Program, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery Liver/Small Bowel Transplant Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 983285 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3285, United States. dmercer@unmc.edu
Telephone: +1-402-5596955 Fax: +1-402-5593434
Received: January 11, 2011
Revised: March 8, 2011
Accepted: March 15, 2011
Published online: May 28, 2011
Revised: March 8, 2011
Accepted: March 15, 2011
Published online: May 28, 2011
Abstract
Chronic consumption of ethanol has a dramatic effect on the clinical outcome of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but the mechanism linking these two pathologies is unknown. Presently, in vitro systems are limited in their ability to study the interaction between a productive wild-type HCV infection and chronic ethanol exposure. Mouse models are potentially very useful in dissecting elements of the HCV-ethanol relationship. Experiments in mice that transgenically express HCV proteins are outlined, as are experiments for the generation of mice with chimeric human livers. The latter models appear to have the most promise for accurately modeling the effects of chronic ethanol intake in HCV-infected human livers.
Keywords: Mouse models; Hepatitis C; Ethanol; Transgenic mice