Fig. 4: Fasting and CBIs cooperate to reduce the expression of enzymes from the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway.

a Tumours (Capan-1 xenografts) were isolated at the end of the experiment presented in Fig. 3e and utilized for RNA isolation and to quantify the expression of the cholesterol-producing enzymes IDI1, FDPS, LSS, HMGCS1, DHCR24 and DHCR7 by QPCR. “FRFs comb.” indicates the combined administration of the factors, insulin, IGF1 and leptin (“fasting-reduced factors combination”). b, Tumours (HCT116 xenografts) were isolated at the end of the experiment presented in Fig. 2h and utilized for protein lysate generation and for the subsequent detection of DHCR24, SQLE and β-actin by Western blotting. The intensity of the DHCR24 and SQLE bands was quantified and normalized to that of β-actin bands. c LDLR expression was determined by QPCR in tumours (Capan-1 xenografts) that were isolated at the end of the experiment presented in Fig. 3e. d Protein lysates were generated from tumours (Capan-1 xenografts) isolated at the end of the experiment presented in Fig. 3e and utilized for the detection of LDLR and Cyclophilin B (CypB) by Western blotting. The intensity of the LDLR bands was quantified and normalized to that of the CypB bands. The Western blots shown in (b, d) are one independent experiment out of two. In the Western blot band quantifications (b, d), samples derive from the same experiment; blots were processed in parallel. All data points from (a–d) are biological replicates (they represent single tumours). Data are shown as mean ± SD. p values were calculated by two-tailed Student’s t test. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.