Malignant transformation of the cultured human normal biliary tract epithelial cells induced by hepatitis C virus core protein.

High level expression of hepatitis C virus core protein (HCV-C) was detected in hilar cholangiocarcinoma tissues in our previous studies. This protein played an important role in the process of cancer cell inversion and proliferation, by some direct and indirect effects on certain genes. Based on this observation, we investigated the effect of HCV-C on human normal biliary epithelial (hBE) cell transformation and tumor development.

[Human normal biliary epithelial cells transformation and tumor development induced by hepatitis C virus core protein].

Objective: To study the effect of hepatitis C virus core protein (HCV-C) on human normal biliary epithelial cells (BEC) transformation and tumor development.

Methods: BEC cells were transfected with plasmid pcDNA HCV-C (expressing HCV-C) by lipofectamine and selected in G418. The expression of HCV-C gene and protein was determined by PCR and immunohistochemical staining, respectively.

Effect of mutated IkappaBalpha transfection on multidrug resistance in hilar cholangiocarcinoma cell lines.

Aim: To explore the expression effect of mutated IkappaBalpha transfection on multidrug resistance gene (MDR-1) in hilar cholangiocarcinoma cells by inhibiting the activity of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB).

Methods: We used the mutated IkappaBalpha plasmid to transfect QBC(939)HCVC+ cells and QBC939 cells, and electrophoretic gel mobility shift assay (EMSA) to detect the binding activity of NF-kappaB DNA and the effect of the transfecting mutated IkappaBalpha plasmid on multidrug resistance gene (MDR-1) in hilar cholangiocarcinoma cells and its expression protein (P-GP).

Results: Plasmid DNA was digested by restriction enzymes Xbal and Hand III, and its product after electrophoresis showed two bands with a big difference in molecular weight, with a size of 4.