HBV Infection of Human Hepatocytes in Immunocompetent Rodents

In order to permit immune acceptance of human ceils without generalized immunosuppression, groups of normal fetal rats at 17 days of gestation were inoculated ip with primary human hepatocytes by intra-intrauterine injection. One day after birth, suspensions of primary human hepatocytes were transplanted via intrasplenic injection. One week later, groups of rats were inoculated with infectious hepatitis B virus (HBV). Tolerized rats that were transplanted with human hepatocytes and subsequently infected with HBV, had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) detectable in serum beginning on day 3,