Figure 1.

Effect of high levels of glucose on the expression levels of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis in rat islets in vitro. Isolated islets were incubated at 3.3 (3.3G) or 16.7 (16.7G) mmol/l glucose for 24 h. (A) The mRNA expression levels of nine genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). (B) The expression level of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (Hmgcr) protein was detected by western blot analysis. Data are expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean for three separate experiments. ^*P<0.05 vs. 3.3 mmol/l glucose treatment. A representative blot from three independent experiments is shown. All three experiments revealed similar results. Hmgcs1, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 1; Mvk, mevalonate kinase; Pmvk, phosphomevalonate kinase; Mvd, mevalonate (diphospho) decarboxylase; Idi1, isopentenyl-diphosphate δ-isomerase 1; Fdft1, farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyl transferase 1; Sqle, squalene epoxidase; Dhcr7, 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase.