The expression of SREBP2 and cholesterol biosynthetic enzymes including HMGCS and HMGCR (Fig. 4C), and RCT-related genes including SR-B1, ABCG5, ABCG8, ABCA1, ApoA1, and LXRα was significantly downregulated in the liver (Fig. 4E), paralleled with significant decreases in hepatic cholesterol content (Fig. 4D) and plasma HDL-cholesterol level (Fig. 4B), in DSS-induced colitis mice compared to non-colitis controls. Here, HMGCR is linked to colitis.