Figure 3. GF mice exhibit impaired lipid digestive and absorptive function.

A–E) SPF and GF mice were fasted for 4 hours and gavaged with corn oil (CO) or water (H₂O) for 2 hours. A) Gallbladder weights. B) Duodenum and jejunum lipase activity. C) Jejunal gene expression of cholecystokinin (Cck) and secretin (Sct). D) Plasma CCK and SCT levels were measured via commercially available EIA assays. E) Pancreatic gene expression of ccka receptor (Cckar), F) western blot of CCKaR, and densitometry of CCKaR. G) Pancreatic Cckar gene expression was determined in GF mice following gavage with vehicle (PBS) or heat-killed Bacteroidetes thetaiotamicron plus Lactobacillus rhamnosus gg. (H) Levels of [³H]oleic acid and of (I) [³H]glucose uptake in brush border membrane vesicles from jejunum and ileum of SPF vs GF mice. Data presented in A–F represent two independent experiments, with 3–4 animals each and are shown as means +/− SEM (n=4 A-D; n=3–4 E-G; n=4–5 H; n=3 I). A–F) * p ≤ 0.05 (LF vs HF), # p ≤ 0.05 (SPF vs GF). G–I) * p ≤ 0.05 (SPF vs GF).