Ethanol Affects Liver Oxidative Stress and Methylation Status in HCV-infection: study on NS5A-Transgenic Mice | Chapter 03 | Emerging Trends and Research in Biological Science Vol. 1
Background: Alcohol consumption accelerates the progression and worsens the outcomes of hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection in heavy and moderate drinkers. Non-structural NS5A protein is a known inducer of oxidative stress and carcinogenesis. Although alcohol consumption exacerbates the course of HCV-infection, the combined effects of NS5A protein and alcohol have not been studied and experimental animal HCV models as well as ways of ethanol administration to animals are not optimized. Our aim was to investigate the effects of two modes of oral ethanol feeding on induction of oxidative stress, methylation status and changes in proteasome activity in livers of NS5A-transgenic (Tg) mice. Methods: Ethanol was administered either in drinking water (chow- fed mice given 20% ethanol in water; designated chow-EtOH) or in Lieber DeCarli liquid diet (LCD-EtOH). Appropriate controls were used. The mechanisms of alcohol and NS5A-induced changes in oxidative stress, liver me...