Fig. 1: NCT reduced HFD induced weight gain and hepatic steatosis. | Cell Death & Disease

Fig. 1: NCT reduced HFD induced weight gain and hepatic steatosis.

From: Long-term oral administration of an HNF4α agonist prevents weight gain and hepatic steatosis by promoting increased mitochondrial mass and function

Fig. 1

C57BL/6 mice were fed normal chow (NC), HFD, or HFD + NCT for 10 weeks. A Liver sections from mice fed normal chow (NC), high fat diet (HFD) or HFD + NCT were immunostained for HNF4α (green nuclear staining) and DAPI (blue nuclear staining). B Quantification of HNF4α fluorescence intensity from images stained as in A. Non-specific cytoplasmic staining was subtracted from the HNF4α nuclear staining and fold change was calculated vs. NC (NC, N = 3, HFD and HFD + NCT, N = 12). C Body weight was measured each week for 10 weeks. Body weight gain was calculated by subtracting the baseline body weight at the start of the study (NC N = 5, HFD and HFD + NCT, N = 15). D HFD and HFD + NCT chow consumption per cage was measured every week for 10 weeks, demonstrating no difference between the two groups (five cages for each condition, three mice in each cage). E Stool TG was normalized to the stool dry weight (N = 3). F Photographs of mice from each treatment group, demonstrating reduction of liver size and increased redness with NCT, as well as visceral adiposity. Red box indicates liver and arrow indicates epididymal fat pad. G Photographs of dissected livers demonstrating reduction of liver size and increased redness with NCT. H Liver weight was normalized to the body weight (NC, N = 5, HFD and HFD + NCT, N = 15). I Photomicrographs of liver sections stained with Oil red O. J Quantification of Oil red O staining HFD and HFD + NCT values were measured using image J with consistent threshold settings and normalized to NC values to calculate fold change (NC, N = 5, HFD and HFD + NCT, N = 15). K Hepatic TG level was normalized to the liver weight (NC, N = 5, HFD and HFD + NCT, N = 15). L Representative pictures of epididymal fat pads from each group. M Epididymal fat pad weight was quantified by normalizing with total mouse body weight (NC, N = 5, HFD and HFD + NCT, N = 15). N Photographs of mice from each treatment group, demonstrating reduction of subcutaneous fat (arrow indicated). Dots indicate individual mice. Values represent the mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 (HFD vs. NC or HFD + NCT). NS non-significant. Scale bar = 200 μM.

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