Lipid and bile acid analysis.

Lipids are important body constituents that are vital for cellular, tissue, and whole-body homeostasis. Lipids serve as crucial membrane components, constitute the body's main energy reservoir, and are important signaling molecules. As a consequence of these pleiotropic functions, many common diseases, including atherosclerosis, chronic inflammatory disorders, and obesity, have been associated with altered lipid homeostasis. Lipid abnormalities are hence increasingly analyzed in mouse models. This unit describes commonly used methods to analyze mouse lipid metabolism, with techniques that evaluate lipids both in blood and in tissues. Despite the similarities between men and mice in many aspects of metabolism, important differences also exist in the area of lipid homeostasis. These differences are discussed and should be taken into account when extrapolating lipid data from mouse to men.