Figure 3

Pooled plasma sterol analyses from neonatal pups. Sterol levels in three pooled plasma samples (9 pups per genotype, pooled by combining samples from 3 pups) collected from animals of each genotype. Plasma cholesterol levels (mg/dl) in WT, Dhcr7^-/-Tg- and Dhcr7^-/-Tg+ neonates were 71.7 ± 5.68, 13.5 ± 1.3 and 33.7 ± 10.4, respectively (Panel A). 7/8DHC (mg/dl) was 0.12 ± 0.04 in WT plasma and a massive accumulation of 7/8DHC was found in Dhcr7^-/-Tg- (10.5 ± 1.8). 7/8DHC level in Dhcr7^-/-Tg+ plasma (5.7 ± 0.7) was ~50 % of Dhcr7^-/-Tg- level, but still ~47-fold higher than WT level (Panel B). The percent of sterol precursors appeared to be dramatically reduced in Dhcr7^-/-Tg+ plasma (19.5 ± 7.6 %), compared to Dhcr7^-/-Tg- mice (77.6 ± 13.6 %) (Panel C). And total sterols (mg/dl) in WT, Dhcr7^-/-Tg- and Dhcr7^-/-Tg+ neonates were 71.8 ± 5.67, 23.9 ± 2.62 and 39.3 ± 10.1, respectively. Results are expressed as mean ± SD.