The Antiviral Effect On Human Hepatitis B Virus By The Sequential Treatment With Interferon Gamma And Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Following Lamivudine

Objectives To invest the antiviral effect on Hepatitis B virus(HBV) in HepG2.2.15 cell by the sequential treatment of interferon gamma(IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α) following lamivudine, and the cytotoxicity of the sequential treatment. To evaluate the efficiency and the safety of the sequential treatment. And to explore the feasibility of the sequential treatment with IFN-γand TNF-αfollowing lamivudine as the antiviral treatment against HBV.Methods HepG2.2.15 cell was implied in the experiment, divided into four groups:the control group, the lamivudine group, the cytokine group, and the sequential treatment group. The experiment was divided into two phases: the pretreatment phase for ten days followed by the experimental treatment phase for six days. In the pretreatment phase, the lamivudine group and the sequential treatment group were pretreated with lamivudine (2μmol/L), while the control group and the cytokine group were pretreated only with the cell culture. In the experimental treatment phase, the sequential treatment group and the cytokine group were treated with IFN-γ(1000U/ml) and TNF-α(5ng/ml), the lamivudine group was still treated with lamivudine (2μmol/L), and the control group was treated only with the cell culture. Renew the cell cultures every other day, and collect the cell cultures two, four, six days after the experimental treatments. HBV covalently closed circular DNA(cccDNA) and HBV DNA in HepG2.2.15 cells were quantified by real time polymerase chain reaction(Real Time PCR). Hepatitis B virus surface antigen(HBsAg) and Hepatitis B virus e antigen(HBeAg) in the cell culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The cell viabilities were assessed by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8). The rates of the apoptoses were examined by flow cytometry(FCM). The data were analyzed statistically, to evaluate the antiviral effects and the cytotoxicities of the different treatments.Results Six days after experimental treatments, the decreasing order of the inhibitions of HBV cccDNA in HepG2.2.15 cells was the cytokine group(55.22%), the sequential treatment group(44.61%), and the lamivudine group(31.09%), with the significant differences among them, P<0.05. The inhibitions of the three groups were stronger than that of the control group, P<0.05. The decreasing order of the inhibitions of HBV DNA in the cells was the lamivudine group(84.33%), the sequential treatment group(67.84%), and the cytokine group(62.19%). The inhibitions of the three groups were all stronger than that of the control group, P<0.05. There was no significant difference of the inhibitions between the sequential treatment group and the cytokine group, P>0.05, and the inhibitions of the two groups were weaker than that of the lamivudine group, P<0.05. Six days after experimental treatments, the decreasing order of the inhibitions of HBsAg in the cell culture supernatants was the sequential treatment group(33.73%), the cytokine group(25.31%), and the lamivudine group(12.64%), with the significant differences among them, P<0.05. The inhibitions of the three groups were stronger than that of the control group, P<0.05; the decreasing order of the inhibitions of HBeAg was the sequential treatment group(31.94%), the cytokine group(25.55%), and the lamivudine group(12.46%), with the significant differences among them, P<0.05. The inhibitions of the three groups were stronger than that of the control group, P<0.05. The decreasing order of the cell viabilities was the lamivudine group(91.42%), the sequential treatment group(85.62%), and the cytokine group(57.54%). There was no significant difference of the viabilities between the sequential treatment group and the lamivudine group, P>0.05, and the viabilities of the two groups were higher than that of the cytokine group, P<0.05. The decreasing order of the rates of the apoptoses was the cytokine group(6.17%), the sequential treatment group(2.80%), and the lamivudine group(1.49%), with the significant differences among them, P<0.05. The rates of the apoptosees in the sequential treatment group and the cytokine group were higher than that of the control group, P<0.05。Conclusions The sequential treatment with IFN-γand TNF-αfollowing lamivudine inhibits HBV in HepG2.2.15 cell. The inhibitions of HBV cccDNA and the presentations of HBsAg and HBeAg by the sequential treatment were stronger than those only by lamivudine. The pretreatment with lamivudine reduces the cytotoxicity on HepG2.2.15 cell induced by the treatment with IFN-γand TNF-αin the sequential treatment. Therefore, the sequential treatment with IFN-γand TNF-αfollowing lamivudine may be an effective and safe antiviral therapy against HBV.