Figure 6.

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

Serum BA levels were higher in both VSG groups compared to Sham groups. N: WT Sham=4, WT VSG= 4, SHP-KO Sham=5, SHP-KO VSG =8. (*=p<0.05, one-way ANOVA, t-test).

B. Serum BA composition analysis of SHP-KO Sham and SHP-KO 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 levels and, as a result, total BA levels, were significantly higher in serum of SHP-KO VSG compared to SHP-KO Sham mice. The following BA are indicated: muricholic acid (MCA), cholic acid (CA), ursodeoxycholate (UDCA), deoxycholate (DCA), tauromuricholate (TMCA), taurocholate (TCA), tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDCA), taurohyodeoxycholate (THDCA), taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDCA), taurodeoxycholate (TDCA), taurolithocholate (TLCA). N: SHP-KO Sham=5, SHP-KO VSG =8. *=p<0.05, **=p<0.01, ***=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. Being predominantly higher in SHP-KO Sham mice, these BA synthesis and hepatocyte import genes, were significantly down-regulated in both VSG groups. N: WT Sham=4, WT VSG= 4, SHP-KO Sham=5, SHP-KO VSG =7. (*=p<0.05, **=p<0.01, ***=p<0.0001, $=p<0.0001 SHP-KO Sham vs. WT Sham and WT VSG, #=p<0.05 WT VSG vs. SHP-KO VSG, one-way ANOVA, t-test).

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

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