The VDR mediated CFU-GM expansion during DCA treatment. (A) Messenger RNA expression of bile acids receptors Fxr and Tgr5, and bile acid sensor, Vdr, was analyzed in HSPCs using the RNA-seq database Heamosphere. (B-K) Whole bone marrow from (B-F) VDR^+/+ littermate controls and (G-K) VDR^–/– mice was placed into colony-forming media in the presence of DCA. Colonies were analyzed as (B,G) the proportion of total colonies, (C,H) the total colony number, and the number of (D,I) CFU-GMs, (E,J) BFU-Es, and (F,K) CFU-GEMMS. (L) Wright-Giemsa staining of FAC-sorted GMPs from colony-forming assays; bar represents 50 μM. (M) Colony-forming assay in the presence of VDR ligand 1,25-VITD3. All data are shown and represent 3 experimental replicates. Data were analyzed with either an unpaired Student t test or two-way ANOVA with Dunnett or Šidák post hoc test. ∗P < .05; ∗∗P < .01; ∗∗∗P < .001; ∗∗∗∗P < .0001.