ABSTRACT
Objective @#To construct hepatocyte-specific silence information regulator 3 ( Sirt3 ) gene knockout (Sirt3Δhep ) mice by Cre-loxP technique , and to provide an important animal model for further studying the biological function of the hepatocyte Sirt3 gene in diseases . @*Methods @#LoxP-labeled Sirt3flox/flox mice were mated with Alb-Cre homozygous (Alb-Cre + / + ) mice , and the F1 generation Sirt3flox/ - /Alb-Cre + / - mice were then mated with Sirt3flox/flox mice , and the F2 genotype of Sirt3flox/flox/Alb-Cre + / - mice were the Sirt3Δhep mice constructed in this ex- periment. Sirt3flox/flox/Alb-Cre - / - (Sirt3flox/flox ) mice were the control mice . Mouse tail genome DNA was extracted and PCR was used to identify the genotypes of the offspring mice . Immunofluorescence was used to detect Sirt3 ex- pression in mouse hepatocytes . Primary hepatocytes and tissue proteins of Sirt3Δhep mice were extracted , and the ex- pression of Sirt3 in mouse hepatocytes and other tissues was verified by Western blot. HE staining was used to ob- serve mice ′s liver , heart , spleen , and lung tissue structure . @*Results @#Sirt3Δhep mice were successfully identified .Immunofluorescence and Western blot results demonstrated a significant decrease in the expression of Sirt3 in the hepatocytes of these mice compared to the control group ( P < 0. 01) . At the same time , there was no significant difference in the expression of Sirt3 in the heart , spleen , kidney , and lung tissues of Sirt3Δhep mice compared with the control group (P > 0. 05) . The results of HE staining showed that the histological characteristics of the liver , heart , spleen , lungs , kidneys , and other major organs of Sirt3Δhep mice were not significantly different from those of the control group mice . @*Conclusion @#Hepatocyte-specific Sirt3 gene knockout mice are successfully constructed , which provides an animal model to explore further the role and molecular mechanism of the hepatocyte Sirt3 gene in diseases .