Abstract 282: Murine Abcb1 Functions as an Efflux Transporter for Bile Salts After Chronic Administration of a Western Diet

Rationale: Removal of bile salts from the liver is the final step of the reverse cholesterol transport pathway. We studied the contribution of Abcb1 (P-glycoprotein), in bile acid efflux. Although a number of endogenous substrates have been postulated for Abcb1 based on in vitro evidence, studies using animal models have not supported these claims. Recent studies in mice demonstrated that in the absence of the Bile Salt Efflux Pump (Bsep), Abcb1 is required for removal of bile salts, especially when challenged with a cholic acid containing diet. To date, no study using atherogenic diets has demonstrated the role of Abcb1 in the removal of bile salts in the presence of functional Bsep. Methods: We fed male mice lacking both isoforms of Abcb1 (Abcb1a-/-/1b-/-) and wild-type controls a diet providing either 25% or 45% of the kcal from fat, supplemented with either normal chow or high levels of cholesterol (0.02% w/w or 0.2% w/w respectively) for nine weeks; n=5 per group. On the tenth week, we assessed the e...