Effect of interferons on expression of adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 and hepatitis B virus replication in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effect of type Ⅰ interferons (IFN-α and IFN-β) and type Ⅱ interferon (IFN-γ) on the expression of adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1, P110 and P150) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect the expression of ADAR1 in human HCC cell lines HepG2 and Huh7 following treatment with different concentrations of IFN-α, IFN-β or IFN-γ. Southern blotting was employed to detect the changes in HBV DNA level in response to IFN-α treatment in Huh7 and HepG2 cells transfected with HBV replication plasmids. Results In Huh7 and HepG2 cells, treatments with IFN-α and IFN-β significantly increased the protein expression of ADAR1 P150 in a time- and dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01) and also obviously augmented the protein level of ADAR1 P110; IFN-γ did not significantly affected the expression of either ADAR1 P110 or ADAR1 P150. IFN-α treatment dose-dependently inhibited HBV DNA replication in Huh7 cells (P < 0.05). Conclusion Type Ⅰ interferons time- and dose-dependently increase the expression of ADAR1 in Huh7 and HepG2 cells, suggesting a possible role of ADAR1 in mediating the anti-HBV effect of IFN-α.

Keywords

• interferon
• adenosine deaminase acting on rna 1
• hepatocellular carcinoma cells
• hepatitis b virus