Despite the well-documented association between gallstones and the metabolic syndrome,1,2 the mechanistic links between these two disorders remain unknown. Here we show that mice solely with hepatic insulin resistance, created by liver-specific disruption of the insulin receptor (LIRKO mice)3 are markedly predisposed toward cholesterol gallstone formation due to at least two distinct mechanisms...

The intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) that line the gut form a robust line of defense against ingested pathogens. We investigated the impact of infection with the enteric pathogen Citrobacter rodentium on mouse IEC metabolism using global proteomic and targeted metabolomics and lipidomics. The major signatures of the infection were upregulation of the sugar transporter Sglt4, aerobic glycolysi...

An increased activity of ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1 has been proposed as a mechanism underlying the hypocholesterolaemic effect of phytosterols. In the present study, ABCA1-deficient mice (ABCA1-/- mice) were used to examine the involvement of the ABCA1 in the reduction of intestinal cholesterol absorption in response to a phytosterol-enriched diet. A decrease in intestinal chole...