Reviewer's report
 Ileal Mucosal Bile Acid Absorption is Increased in Cftr Knockout Mice Title:
Authors:
Matthias Stelzner (stelzner@u.washington.edu )
Sivagurunathan Somasundaram (siva_somasundaram@med.unc.edu )
Sum P Lee (splee@u.washington.edu )
Rahul Kuver (kuver@u.washington.edu )
 4  1 Oct 2001 Version: Date:
 Dr Jacqueline Hardcastle Reviewer:
 not specified Level of interest:
 Accept after revision, which I do not need to see Advice on publication:
I have read through the revised version of this paper. The authors have addressed the majority of the 
points that I raised in the original review and the inclusion of the passive uptake data is useful. There are still however, a few minor changes that are required before the paper can be considered acceptablefor publication and these are detailed below. 
METHODS 
Presumably all groups of animals received the same standard liquid diet, not just the CF homozygotes. 
This could be made more explicit by stating "All mice had been kept on a standard liquid diet ...". 
RESULTS 
An n number should be provided for each value (mean+/-sem) stated in the text. Presumably n = 
number of animals in each group as stated in the Methods, but it should be included with the values 
cited. 
The value for taurocholate uptake in CF homozygotes (212 pmol/mm2) lacks a sem. 
The number of observations should be provided for each experimental group in Figs 1 and 3. 
It is not clear from the legends to Figs 1 and 3 exactly what statistical comparisons have been made. 
Does # compare CF homozygotes with wild-type and ** CF homozygotes with heterozygotes? This requires clarification. 
The P values in the legends to Figs 1 and 3 differ from those in the text (Results). Are different 
comparisons being made? 
The second columns of the 2cm group in Fig 1A and all groups in Fig 1B are incorrectly shaded. 
DISCUSSION 
What evidence is there for bile acid malabsorption in CF mice (Discussion para6)? I may have missed 
it, but I cannot find any reference to support this statement. Malabsorption has been reported in human 
patients, but I am not aware of an equivalent study in mice. Unless a suitable reference is available this 
paragraph still requires modification. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
Reviewer's report
 Ileal Mucosal Bile Acid Absorption is Increased in Cftr Knockout Mice Title:
Authors:
Matthias Stelzner (stelzner@u.washington.edu )
Sivagurunathan Somasundaram (siva_somasundaram@med.unc.edu )
Sum P Lee (splee@u.washington.edu )
Rahul Kuver (kuver@u.washington.edu )
 4  1 Oct 2001 Version: Date:
 Dr Jacqueline Hardcastle Reviewer:
 not specified Level of interest:
 Accept after revision, which I do not need to see Advice on publication:
I have read through the revised version of this paper. The authors have addressed the majority of the 
points that I raised in the original review and the inclusion of the passive uptake data is useful. There are still however, a few minor changes that are required before the paper can be considered acceptablefor publication and these are detailed below. 
METHODS 
Presumably all groups of animals received the same standard liquid diet, not just the CF homozygotes. 
This could be made more explicit by stating "All mice had been kept on a standard liquid diet ...". 
RESULTS 
An n number should be provided for each value (mean+/-sem) stated in the text. Presumably n = 
number of animals in each group as stated in the Methods, but it should be included with the values 
cited. 
The value for taurocholate uptake in CF homozygotes (212 pmol/mm2) lacks a sem. 
The number of observations should be provided for each experimental group in Figs 1 and 3. 
It is not clear from the legends to Figs 1 and 3 exactly what statistical comparisons have been made. 
Does # compare CF homozygotes with wild-type and ** CF homozygotes with heterozygotes? This requires clarification. 
The P values in the legends to Figs 1 and 3 differ from those in the text (Results). Are different 
comparisons being made? 
The second columns of the 2cm group in Fig 1A and all groups in Fig 1B are incorrectly shaded. 
DISCUSSION 
What evidence is there for bile acid malabsorption in CF mice (Discussion para6)? I may have missed 
it, but I cannot find any reference to support this statement. Malabsorption has been reported in human 
patients, but I am not aware of an equivalent study in mice. Unless a suitable reference is available this 
paragraph still requires modification. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
 Ileal Mucosal Bile Acid Absorption is Increased in Cftr Knockout Mice Title:
Authors:
Matthias Stelzner (stelzner@u.washington.edu )
Sivagurunathan Somasundaram (siva_somasundaram@med.unc.edu )
Sum P Lee (splee@u.washington.edu )
Rahul Kuver (kuver@u.washington.edu )
 4  1 Oct 2001 Version: Date:
 Dr Jacqueline Hardcastle Reviewer:
 not specified Level of interest:
 Accept after revision, which I do not need to see Advice on publication:
I have read through the revised version of this paper. The authors have addressed the majority of the 
points that I raised in the original review and the inclusion of the passive uptake data is useful. There are still however, a few minor changes that are required before the paper can be considered acceptablefor publication and these are detailed below. 
METHODS 
Presumably all groups of animals received the same standard liquid diet, not just the CF homozygotes. 
This could be made more explicit by stating "All mice had been kept on a standard liquid diet ...". 
RESULTS 
An n number should be provided for each value (mean+/-sem) stated in the text. Presumably n = 
number of animals in each group as stated in the Methods, but it should be included with the values 
cited. 
The value for taurocholate uptake in CF homozygotes (212 pmol/mm2) lacks a sem. 
The number of observations should be provided for each experimental group in Figs 1 and 3. 
It is not clear from the legends to Figs 1 and 3 exactly what statistical comparisons have been made. 
Does # compare CF homozygotes with wild-type and ** CF homozygotes with heterozygotes? This requires clarification. 
The P values in the legends to Figs 1 and 3 differ from those in the text (Results). Are different 
comparisons being made? 
The second columns of the 2cm group in Fig 1A and all groups in Fig 1B are incorrectly shaded. 
DISCUSSION 
What evidence is there for bile acid malabsorption in CF mice (Discussion para6)? I may have missed 
it, but I cannot find any reference to support this statement. Malabsorption has been reported in human 
patients, but I am not aware of an equivalent study in mice. Unless a suitable reference is available this 
paragraph still requires modification. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
assistant