Serum and inguinal white adipose tissue levels of β-carotene, retinoids and apocarotenoids. AmengualJaume GourantonErwan G. J. van HeldenYvonne HesselSusanne RibotJoan KramerEvelien Kiec-WilkBeata RaznyUrsula LietzGeorg WyssAdrian Dembinska-KiecAldona PalouAndreu KeijerJaap François LandrierJean Luisa BonetM. von LintigJohannes 2011 <p>(<b>A</b>, <b>B</b>) β-carotene -15, 15′-monoxygenase (Bcmo1) and β-carotene 9′, 10′-dioxygenase (Bcdo2) mRNA levels in inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) of wild-type (WT) and <i>Bcmo1</i>-null (<i>Bcmo1</i><sup>-/-</sup>) mice after 14 weeks on a control diet (open bars) or a β-carotene-enriched diet (black bars). Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine normalized gene expression levels. (<b>C</b>-<b>G</b>) β-carotene, retinol and 10′ β-apocarotenol levels in serum and iWAT of WT and <i>Bcmo1</i><sup>-/-</sup> mice after 14 weeks on a control diet (open bars) or a β-carotene-enriched diet (black bars). β-carotene, retinol and β-10′-apocarotenol were determined by HPLC (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0020644#s4" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a>). Total retinol refers to free retinol plus retinyl esters. Data in (<b>A</b> to <b>G</b>) are the mean ± SEM of 6 animals per group; n.d. non-detectable; GxD, interaction between genotype and diet in two-way ANOVA analysis (p<0.05); G, genotype effect in two-way ANOVA analysis (p<0.05); *, p<0.05 in Student's <i>t</i> test, BC diet <i>versus</i> control diet.</p>