Fig. 4

Bile acid induction of minimal BSEP promoters in wild-type (WT) mice. C57BL/6 male and female mice were administered 3 × 10¹² VG/kg of AAV8-imPr-LucPEST (a), AAV8-A1AT-LucPEST (b), or AAV8-ihPr-LucPEST (d) and received either normal diet (red open squares) or a diet supplemented with 0.2% cholic acid (CA) (blue closed circles) alternating with normal diet (blue open circles) as indicated in the figure. Luciferase expression was measured in live mice at the indicated times (n = 3 for each gender except in mice receiving AAV-ihPr-LucPEST where n = 2, only tested in females). c Representative bioluminiscence images of C57BL/6 male mice administered with AAV8-imPr-LucPEST and AAV8-A1AT-LucPEST (n = 3) that received alternating CA/normal diets. Images were taken at week 13 before the last CA cycle and at week 16 after 3 weeks of CA diet in the third cycle. Data are shown as mean + SEM of photon (Ph) units per second normalized with background signal. Statistical comparisons were calculated comparing the average luciferase expression during each CA cycle and its precedent normal diet cycle using a paired T test. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. Fold induction in each CA cycle was calculated by dividing the maximum expression under CA induction by basal expression prior to CA administration. imPr, AAV8-imPr-LucPEST; ihPr, AAV8-ihPr-LucPEST; A1AT, AAV-A1AT-LucPEST