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

Figure 1 A: The PPARα mRNA level in the HCV patients reduced compared with controls by real-time RT-PCR, ^bP<0. 01 vs control; B: The PPARα target gene CPT1A mRNA level in the HCV patients also reduced compared with controls by real-time RT-PCR, ^bP<0.01 vs control; C: The PPARα protein level in the HCV cirrhotic patients reduced compared with controls by Western blot. Results were expressed as mean±SD, ^bP<0.01 vs control.

Figure 2 Representative PPARα immunostainings in liver specimens. The left: a control liver, PPARα staining was detected in the majority of hepatocytes (magnification ×160); The right: a severe hepatitis patient liver, the number of PPARα-stained hepatocytes was decreased markedly (magnification ×160).

Figure 3 In the N3 colon and N4 colon which were stably expressing the HCV core protein PPARα mRNA levels decreased more than 80% compared with controls by real-time RT-PCR. Results were expressed as mean±SD, ^bP<0.01 vs control.