Figure 3.

A. Fasting serum total BA levels at day 28 post-surgery.

Serum BA levels were higher in WT VSG group compared to WT Sham group, however, in SHP-Tg VSG mice they remained at the same level as in SHP-Tg Sham mice at this time-point. N: WT Sham=5, WT VSG= 6, SHP-Tg Sham=6, SHP-Tg VSG =7. (*=p<0.05, one-way ANOVA).

B. Serum BA composition analysis of SHP-Tg Sham and SHP-Tg VSG mice at day 60 post-surgery: unconjugated, total taurine-conjugated and total BA levels (left) and individual taurine-conjugated BA levels (right).

The majority of BA and, as a result, total BA levels, were significantly higher in serum of SHP-Tg VSG compared to SHP-Tg Sham mice. The following BA are indicated: muricholic acid (MCA), cholic acid (CA), ursodeoxycholate (UDCA), chenodeoxycholate (CDCA), deoxycholate (DCA), tauromuricholate (TMCA), taurocholate (TCA), tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDCA), taurohyodeoxycholate (THDCA), taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDCA), taurodeoxycholate (TDCA). N: SHP-Tg Sham=6, SHP-Tg VSG =7. *=p<0.05, ***=p<0.0001, t-test).

C. Hepatic BA synthesis and uptake gene expression at day 60 post-surgery.

mRNA levels of the genes coding for the BA production (Cyp7a1 and Cyp8b1) and BA uptake (Ntcp, Oatp2 and Oatp4) were measured by RT-PCR and expressed in relative expression units. All these genes were significantly down-regulated in VSG mice with normal or increased hepatic SHP expression. N: WT Sham=4, WT VSG= 5, SHP-Tg Sham=4, SHP-Tg VSG =6. (*=p<0.05, one-way ANOVA, t-test).

D. Scheme of hepatic BA synthesis and uptake gene expression in WT and SHP-Tg mice post-VSG.

BA production and import were similarly down-regulated in both WT and SHP-Tg mice 60 days after VSG.