Influence of liver-X-receptor on tissue cholesterol, coenzyme Q and dolichol content

Figures & data

Figure 1. Mevalonate pathway lipids and malondialdehyde in liver (A) and spleen (B) of LXRα, -β and double KO mice. The columns in the case of cholesterol and dolichol give both the free and the esterified forms. The values are means ± SD (n = 9). This Figure is reproduced in color in the online version of Molecular Membrane Biology.

Figure 2. Mevalonate pathway lipids in thymus (A), kidney (B), heart (C) and lung (D) of LXRα, -β and double KO mice. The columns in the case of cholesterol and dolichol give both the free and the esterified forms. The values are means ± SD (n = 9). This Figure is reproduced in color in the online version of Molecular Membrane Biology.

Figure 3. Effects of LXR agonist GW 3965 on the concentrations of mevalonate pathway lipids in liver (A) and spleen (B). In spleen the amount of cholesteryl esters are not given since these values are very low and at the sensitivity limit for detection. The values are means ± SD (n = 4). This Figure is reproduced in color in the online version of Molecular Membrane Biology.

Table I. Subcellular distribution of mevalonate pathway lipids in liver.

	Homogenate	Mitochondria	Lysosomes	Microsomes
	nmol/ mg protein
Cholesterol (free)
Control	33.2 ± 3.6	7.5 ± 0.6	181 ± 22	67.2 ±7.2
LXR double KO	39.7 ± 3.7	12.2 ± 1.5	203 ± 21	91.5 ± 8.3
Dolichol (free)
Control	0.22 ± 0.02	0.16 ± 0.02	7.5 ± 0.9	0.18 ± 0.02
LXR double KO	0.27 ± 0.02	0.19 ± 0.03	10.6 ± 1.2	0.22 ± 0.04
Coenzyme Q
Control	0.69 ± 0.07	2.54 ± 0.36	1.64 ± 0.51	0.31 ± 0.04
LXR double KO	0.48 ± 0.06	1.89 ± 0.30	1.31 ± 0.27	0.25 ± 0.03

Livers from control and LXR double KO mice were fractionated as described in Materials and methods. Lipids were isolated and quantified with reversed phase HPLC. Values expressed as means ± SD (n = 4).

Table II. Subcellular distribution of mevalonate pathway lipids in spleen.

	Homogenate	Mitochondria	Other organelles
	nmol/mg protein
Cholesterol (free)
Control	83 ± 6	52 ± 7	185 ± 15
LXR α -/-	91 ± 9	52 ± 6	187 ± 16
LXR double KO	112 ± 14	74 ± 8	222 ± 29
Dolichol (total)
Control	0.32 ± 0.02	1.41 ± 0.10	0.39 ± 0.04
LXR α -/-	0.38 ± 0.04	1.55 ± 0.12	0.59 ± 0.07
LXR double KO	0.60 ± 0.09	1.77 ± 0.20	0.86 ± 0.08
Coenzyme Q
Control	0.33 ± 0.05	1.53 ± 0.20	0.53 ± 0.05
LXR α -/-	0.42 ± 0.04	1.97 ± 0.23	0.65 ± 0.05
LXR double KO	0.79 ± 0.09	2.90 ± 0.32	1.07 ± 0.09

Spleens from control, LXRα and LXR double KO mice were fractionated as described in Materials and methods. Lipids were isolated and quantified with reversed phase HPLC. Values expressed as means ± SD (n = 4).

Figure 4. Coenzyme Q amount in mitochondria in relation to cytochrome c oxidase activity in liver (A) and spleen (B). Mitochondria were isolated by metrizamide gradient and their content of CoQ and cytochrome c oxidase activity was determined. The values are means ± SD (n = 4).