Research Article

NOX4 induces oxidative stress and apoptosis through upregulation of caspases 3 and 9 and downregulation of TIGAR in HCV-infected Huh-7 cells

Atta-ur-Rehman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

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Sobia Manzoor

* Author for correspondence

Atta-ur-Rehman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan.

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Email the corresponding author at dr.sobiamanzoor@asab.nust.edu.pk

Qazi Laeeque Ahmed

Atta-ur-Rehman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

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Madiha Khalid

Atta-ur-Rehman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

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Waseem Ashraf

Atta-ur-Rehman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

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Published Online:28 Jun 2013https://doi.org/10.2217/fvl.13.50

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Abstract

Aim: The present study was designed to determine the potential role of oxidative stress in the induction of apoptosis in a transient in vitro model of HCV-infected Huh-7 cells. Material & methods: A transient in vitro infectivity model of a Huh-7 cell line was established using serum from HCV genotype 3a patients. Quantitative expression of selected genes was measured using real-time PCR. Results: A test of the apoptotic responses of cells under stressful conditions showed a significant increase in selected oxidative stress and apoptotic markers, along with a significant decrease in expression of antioxidants following inoculation in a time-dependent manner. A significant decrease in TIGAR and a significant increase in p53 expression levels at day 6 suggested the possible role of p53 and TIGAR in the induction of apoptosis and oxidative stimuli in experimental Huh-7/HCV cell lines. Conclusion: Collectively, the findings of the current study suggest a role for p53 and TIGAR in HCV-induced apoptosis in the presence of oxidative stress in a Huh-7 cell line.

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Vol. 8, No. 7

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Published online 28 June 2013

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to S Jahan (Department of Immunology, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Pakistan) for providing us with assistance in establishing the transient in vitro replication model of HCV.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors would like to acknowledge Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, H/12, Pakistan, for their financial support and help in accomplishing this work. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

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