ABSTRACT: Viral hepatitis and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure are common risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The incidence of HCC in individuals co-exposed to hepatitis C (HCV) or B virus and AFB1 is greater than could be explained by the additive effect, yet the mechanisms are poorly understood due to lack of an animal model. This study investigated the outcomes and mechanisms of combined exposure to HCV and AFB1. We hypothesized that HCV transgenic (HCV-Tg; expressing core, E1, E2, and p7, nucleotides 342-2771) mice will be prone to hepatocarcinogenesis when exposed to AFB1. Neonatal (7 days old) HCV-Tg or C57BL/6J wild-type mice were exposed to AFB1 (6 ug/g bw) or tricaprylin vehicle (15 ul/g bw) and male offspring were followed for up to 12 months. No liver lesions were observed in vehicle-treated wild type or HCV-Tg mice. Tumors (adenomas or carcinomas) and preneoplastic lesions (hyperplasia or foci) were observed in 22.5% (9 of 40) of AFB1-treated wild-type mice. In HCV-Tg, the incidence of tumorous or pre-tumorous lesions was significantly elevated (50%, 18 of 36), with the difference largely due to a 2.5-fold increase in the incidence of adenomas (30.5% vs 12.5%). While oxidative stress and steato-hepatisis were observed in both AFB1-treated groups, molecular changes indicative of the enhanced inflammatory response and altered lipid metabolism were more pronounced in HCV-Tg mice. In summary, HCV proteins core, E1, E2 and p7 are sufficient to reproduce the additive co-carcinogenic effect of HCV and AFB1 which is a known clinical phenomenon. HCV transgenic mice (SL-139 strain, pAlbSVPA-HCV-S, containing the structural genes core, E1, E2, and p7, nucleotides 342-2771 of HCV genotype 1b, strain N, under the control of the murine albumin promoter/enhancer) on C57BL/6J (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME) background were previously reported in Lerat et al (Lerat et al., Gastroenterology 122, 352-365, 2002). Transgenic animals were identified after weaning as detailed in Korenaga et al (Korenaga et al., J Biol. Chem. 280, 37481-37488, 2005). Neonatal (7 days old) mice were administered a single dose of AFB1 (6 ug/g bw) or tricaprylin vehicle (15 ul/g bw) by intra-peritoneal injection. Male mice were maintained on the regular animal chow with free access to food and water for up to 12 months. All animal experiments were approved by the UNC Animal Care and Use Committee.
