The complete culture medium (CCM) was renewed every 3 days, and cells were passaged every 6-10 days. A total of 3 × 106 cells were suspended in 10 ml CCM and incubated at 37°C in 5% CO2. Viral inoculation and sample collection Viral inoculation and cell culture were performed as previously described [26]. Briefly, cells were grown for 48 h to semi-confluence in complete culture

medium, washed twice with FCS-free medium, and then inoculated with 500 μl serum obtained from HCV infected patients (500 μl patient sera and 500 μl FCS-free DMEM/3 × 106 cells). The HCV genotype was characterized as genotype-4 with 9 quasispecies based on our previously described method [27]. The viral load in the used serum was quantified by real time PCR. The average copy number was 58 × 107copies/ml. After 180 min, Ham F12 medium (Bio Whittaker, a Combrex Company, Belgium) containing FCS STA-9090 order was added to make the overall serum content 100 ml/L in a final volume of 10 ml including the volume of the human serum, which used for infection as mentioned above. Cells were maintained overnight at 37°C in 5% CO2. The next day, adherent cells were washed with CCM and incubation was continued

in CCM with 100 ml/L FCS. Throughout the culture duration, the assessment of HCV replication were confirmed by a detection of viral core protein using western blotting, by RT-PCR amplification of sense and antisense strands of the KU-57788 order virus by real time PCR and by the inhibition of HCV replication using siRNA knockout as we previously reported [28]. Western blot analysis of HCV core antigens

in HepG2 cells Lysates containing 100 μg of protein from uninfected and infected HepG2 cells were subjected to SDS-PAGE, as previously described [26, 27]. After three washes, membranes were incubated with diluted peroxidase-labeled anti-human IgG/IgM antibody mixture at 1:5000 in PBS (3 g/L) for previously treated strips with the anti-core antibody (Novocastra, Novocastra Laboratories, UK) for 2 h at room temperature. Visualization of immune complexes on the nitrocellulose membranes was performed by developing the strips with 0.01 mol/L PBS (pH 7.4) containing 40 mg 3,3′,5,5′-tretramethylbenzidine and 100 μl of 30 ml/L hydrogen peroxide Fenbendazole (Immunopure TMB substrate Kit, PIERCE, Rockford, IIIinois, USA). Quantification of human GAPDH mRNA The integrity of the cellular RNA preparations from HCV infected HepG2 cells was analyzed by 18s and 28s bands on agarose gel and by automated gel electrophoresis (Experion Software Version 3.0, Bio-Rad), which was also used for measuring the RNA concentration in addition to spectrophotometer at 260 nm (VS-4718 mw nanoDrop, USA). GAPDH mRNA levels were quantified by real time RT-PCR using TaqMan technology with GAPDH specific primers.