Fig. 6: Loss of Ahnak in hepatocytes attenuates palmitate-induced lipid accumulation through FGF21 induction.

a Primary hepatocytes were incubated with 0.25 mM palmitate for 24 h. Lipid accumulation was estimated by Oil Red O staining after palmitate incubation. Quantitation of the positive areas of Oil Red O staining is shown. b Relative FGF21 mRNA expression was measured after BSA and palmitate treatment (left). Secreted FGF21 was measured in culture media from WT and Ahnak-deficient hepatocytes (right). c Protein expression levels of FGF21, PPARα, and PGC1α were measured in WT and Ahnak-deficient hepatocytes incubated with 0.25 mM BSA or palmitate for 24 h. d Relative mRNA expression levels of genes involved in lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation were measured after BSA and palmitate treatment. Data were presented as the means ± SEM. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01, versus palmitate-treated WT hepatocytes; ^#p < 0.05; ^##p < 0.01, versus BSA-treated WT hepatocytes.