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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle
Published on: February 1, 2017
[Inhibition of hepatitis B virus replication and expression by RNA interference in vitro]
Cai Zhu1, Xue-gong Fan, Ning Li
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsa 410008, China.
Objective:
To design pSilencer3.1-H1hygro plasmid expressing short interfering RNAs (siRNA) that target HBV S gene region, and to evaluate inhibitory effect of this siRNA on HBV in vitro.
Methods:
HepG2.2.15 was used as target cell. The plasmid expressing small interfering RNA was transfected into the cultured cells via liposome metafectene, HBsAg and HBeAg were analyzed by time-resolved immunofluorometric assay, HBV DNA were analyzed by fluorogenic quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR), HBV S-mRNA was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.
Results:
The plasmid expressing siRNA was successfully constructed. The S region siRNAs could effectively inhibit both antigens secretion and HBV replication compared with controls, HBsAg levels decreased by 75%, 82%, 89%; HBeAg levels decreased by 32%, 38%, 43%; HBV DNA production decreased by 30%, 43%, 49%; The HBV mRNA species was reduced by 30%, 70%, 90% when transfected with 1 microg, 2 microg, 4 microg HBV S-siRNA, respectively.
Conclusion:
These results demonstrate that RNAi can substantially inhibit HBV replication and the antigens expression in the infected cells. These inhibitive effect of siRNA on HBV was dose-dependent and sequence-specific.
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