Huh-7.5.1 cells were infected with recombinant adenovirus at different moi in complete media with or without exogenous sterols (50 mM sodium mevalonate, 20 mM sodium oleate, 5.0 mg/ml cholesterol). After 48 hours, the cells were infected with HCV moi 0.1 or transfected with purified HCV genomic RNA for 72 hours, and then cells were analyzed by Cellomics ArrayScan HCS, or total RNA was isolated from cell extracts using the RNeasy plus kit (Qiagen, Mississauga, ON, Canada) including on-column DNase digestion. Media from treated and infected cells were harvested for HCV titer determination as described above. To examine the Spn4A.RRLL(s) mediated block in PCSK9, LDLR, and SREBP-2 expression, Huh-7.5.1 cells were grown in media supplemented with LPDS for 24 hours, infected with adenovirus variants, and harvested 72 hours later.