Hsp72 overexpression protects from acetaminophen and DDC-associated liver injury but enhances protein aggregation

Heat shock protein (Hsp) 72 is a molecular chaperone which is upregulated in response to a variety of stress situations and possesses broad cytoprotective functions. However its hepatic function remains largely unknown. To study the importance of Hsp72 in the liver, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing Hsp72 under the control of a tissue-specific tetracycline-inducible system and crossed them with animals carrying the tetracycline-responsive transactivator under the control of the liver activator protein promotor (Hsp72-LAP mice). Acute liver injury was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of ace…