Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Alcohol potentiates hepatitis C virus replicon expression.

Ting Zhang1, Yuan Li, Jian-Ping Lai

  • 1Division of Allergy and Immunology, Joseph Stokes Jr. Research Institute at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.)
|June 28, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Alcohol consumption significantly increases hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication and reduces the effectiveness of interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) therapy. This occurs through the activation of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) and the opioid system.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2025/26: G protein-coupled receptors.

British journal of pharmacology·2025
Same author

A Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial of the Effects of Escitalopram on Depressive Symptoms and Immune Function in People With HIV.

Biological psychiatry global open science·2025
Same author

HIV Clinical Providers' Awareness, Attitudes, and Willingness to Support Patient Outreach Efforts for HIV Cure-Directed Research in Philadelphia, United States.

Open forum infectious diseases·2024
Same author

Impacts of ultraviolet absorption by zinc oxide nanoparticle modifiers on asphalt aging.

Scientific reports·2024
Same author

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24: G protein-coupled receptors.

British journal of pharmacology·2023
Same author

Causes and risk factors of death among people who inject drugs in Indonesia, Ukraine and Vietnam: findings from HPTN 074 randomized trial.

BMC infectious diseases·2023

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology and Viral Hepatitis Research
  • Molecular Virology and Drug Discovery

Background:

  • Alcohol consumption is known to worsen liver damage and reduce treatment efficacy in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
  • The precise mechanisms by which alcohol influences HCV replication and disease progression remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether alcohol consumption enhances HCV RNA expression and replication in hepatic cells.
  • To determine if alcohol interferes with the anti-HCV effects of interferon alfa (IFN-alpha).
  • To elucidate the molecular pathways mediating alcohol's effects on HCV replication.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a stable HCV replicon-containing hepatic cell system to assess alcohol's impact on viral RNA expression.
  • Investigated the role of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) signaling by using caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), an NF-kappaB inhibitor.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examined the involvement of the endogenous opioid system using naltrexone, an opiate receptor antagonist.

    • Main Results:

    • Alcohol significantly increased HCV replicon expression in a concentration-dependent manner.
    • Alcohol compromised the antiviral efficacy of IFN-alpha against HCV.
    • Alcohol-induced HCV RNA expression was mediated by the activation of the NF-kappaB promoter and the endogenous opioid system.

    Conclusions:

    • Alcohol consumption enhances HCV replication and diminishes the effectiveness of IFN-alpha therapy, likely via NF-kappaB activation and opioid system engagement.
    • Alcohol acts as a cofactor in HCV disease progression and can compromise IFN-alpha-based treatment outcomes.
    • These findings highlight the critical importance of alcohol abstinence for patients undergoing HCV treatment.