HCVcc-induced profibrotic changes in HLMF.

<p>HLMF were inoculated with JFH1-HCVcc 24 hours after plating, and analyzed at the indicated days after inoculation, together with non-infected cells: <b>(A)</b> Cell proliferation was measured by [³H]-thymidine incorporation. <b>(B)</b> The expression of a-SMA, collagen 1 and collagen 4 was estimated by RT-PCR, and expressed as mRNA levels relative to those in non-infected cells. <b>(C)</b> Secretion of the C-terminal propeptide of collagen I was measured by enzyme immunoassay in cell supernatants. The results are means ± SD of at least seven cell preparations, * p≤0.04, ** p = 0.01, *** p = 0.001 and **** p<0.0001 <i>vs</i>. control. <b>(D)</b> Role of HCVcc infection and replication on HLMF activation and collagen production. Non-infected HLMF, and HLMF inoculated with JFH1-HCVcc, together with UV-inactivated HCVcc or HCVcc treated with anti-CD81 for 24 hours after plating, were cultured and analyzed at the indicated days after inoculation. The relative expression of a-SMA, collagen 1 and collagen 4 was estimated by RT-PCR, and expressed as mRNA levels relative to those in non-infected cells. The results are means ± SD of three cell preparations, * p≤0.05, <i>vs</i>. control.