Figure 3. LiChKO mice fail to increase de novo lipogenesis or cholesterol synthesis in response to high-fructose feeding.

(A) Hepatic mRNA expression of lipogenic genes. (B) Western blots of SREBP1 in hepatic cytoplasmic (top) and nuclear (bottom) fractions quantified in (C) were measured in control (CTL) and liver-specific ChREBP-KO (LiChKO) male mice fed standard chow or high-fructose diet (HFrD) starting at 6–8 weeks of age for 10 weeks (n = 4–5 per group). (D) De novo lipogenesis (DNL) rates were measured by incorporation of ³H₂O into saponifiable fraction of hepatic lipids in female control and LiChKO mice after 10 weeks of chow or HFrD, (n = 3–4 per group). (E) Hepatic triglycerides, (F) liver mRNA, and (G) hepatic total and free cholesterol were measured in mice as described in A–C. Data are presented as box-and-whisker plots where the line in the box indicates the median, the box extends from the 25th to 75th percentiles, and the whiskers indicate the minimal and maximal values. P values were obtained using 2-way ANOVA. *P < 0.05 compared between water and fructose within the same genotype; ^#P < 0.05 compared between different genotypes within the same treatment group. ChREBP, carbohydrate responsive element–binding protein.