Murine Models of Hepatitis A Virus Infection

Mechanistic analyses of hepatitis A virus (HAV)-induced pathogenesis have long been thwarted by the lack of tractable small animal models that recapitulate disease observed in humans. Several approaches have shown success, including infection of chimeric mice with human liver cells. Other recent studies show that HAV can replicate to high titer in mice lacking expression of the type I interferon (IFN) receptor (IFN-α/β receptor) or mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) protein. Mice deficient in the IFN receptor show critical features of type A hepatitis in humans when challenged with human HAV, including histological evidence of liver damage, leukocyte infiltration, and the release of liver enzymes into blood. Acute pathogenesis is caused by MAVS-dependent signaling that leads to intrinsic apoptosis of hepatocytes.