Over-expression of uPA increases risk of liver injury in pAAV-HBV transfected mice.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between over-expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) related liver diseases in a transgenic mouse model.

Methods: Albumin-tetracycline reverse transcriptional activator and tetO-uPA transgenic mice were generated respectively through pronuclear injection and crossed to produce the double transgenic in-alb-uPA mice, for which doxycycline (Dox)-inducible and liver-specific over-expression of uPA can be achieved. Hydrodynamic transfection of plasmid adeno-associated virus (AAV)-1.