Topological and evolutional relationships between HCV core protein and hepatic lipid vesicles: Studies in vitro and in conditionally transgenic mice

Figure 4 Immunostaining for core protein in core-expressing mice (DTM) livers fixed in 4% PFA (A, C, E and G) and the corresponding oil-red-O stain for fat in the livers of the frozen section (B, D, F and H). The livers were from the mice on doxycycline (A and B) and those not on doxycycline (C and D) at an age of 2 mo, 4 mo (E and F) and 6 mo (G and H). The core expression parallels the degree of hepatic steatosis. Both peaked at the age of 2 mo (C and D) when the hepatic steatosis was microvesicular (D), and diminished gradually (E and H). Macrovesicular hepatic steatosis (E and F) replaced microvesicluar steatosis during evolution.