Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026

A Familial Hypercholesterolemia Human Liver Chimeric Mouse Model Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Hepatocytes
Published on: September 15, 2018
Maternal hypercholesterolemia leads to activation of endogenous cholesterol synthesis in the offspring
Nima Goharkhay1, Esther H Tamayo, Huaizhi Yin
1Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of maternal hypercholesterolemia on hepatic cholesterol metabolism in the offspring in a mouse model.
Study Design:
Male and female wild type and apoE(-/-KO) (knockout for the apoprotein E [apoE]) gene) mice were crossbred to obtain all 4 possible genetic offspring types. The litters were maintained on regular chow and sacrificed at 8 months of age. Liver samples were collected and the mRNA expression levels for SCAP, SREBP-1a, SREBP-2, HMGCR, and LDLR determined using real-time RT-PCR.
Results:
We found a significant activation of the transcriptional activity of genes involved in endogenous cholesterol synthesis, as well as LDLR, in the liver of adult mice born to hypercholesterolemic dams.
Conclusion:
Reprogramming of hepatic cholesterol homeostasis may be the basis for an increased predisposition to hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis found in offspring of mice exposed to a high cholesterol environment during early life.
Related Concept Videos
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine in the ER Membrane
The major components of all eukaryotic cell...
Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
Lipids: Dietary Sources and Requirements
Lipid Catabolism

