Fig. 2: Administration of NT-3 protein promotes beiging in postnatal mice and protects adult mice from diet-induced obesity. | Nature Communications

Fig. 2: Administration of NT-3 protein promotes beiging in postnatal mice and protects adult mice from diet-induced obesity.

From: Adipose tissue-derived neurotrophic factor 3 regulates sympathetic innervation and thermogenesis in adipose tissue

Fig. 2

a–c Ucp1 and other BAT-specific gene expression (a, n = 5/group, * indicates statistical significance between saline and NT-3 treatments with unpaired two-tailed t test), UCP1 and TH protein levels (b, n = 5/group, * indicates statistical significance between saline and NT-3 treatments with unpaired two-tailed t-test) and representative UCP1-immunostaining images showing UCP1-positive beige adipocytes in iWAT (c, from three replicate animals/group, scale bar = 150 µm) of 20-day-old postnatal pups with daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) NT-3 (50 μg/kg) injection for 10 days. d–g Body weight (d, saline n = 9; NT-3 n = 8. * Indicates statistical significance with unpaired two-tailed t test, saline vs NT-3 treatments: D19, P = 0.04; D20, P = 0.038; D21, P = 0.022; D22, P = 0.04; D24, P = 0.03; D27, P = 0.019; D29, P = 0.013; D31, P = 0.013; D34, P = 0.006; D36, P = 0.009; D38, P = 0.009; D40, P = 0.008; D43, P = 0.006; D44, P = 0.006; D45, P = 0.004; D48, P = 0.019; D50, P = 0.027; D52, P = 0.0496; D55, P = 0.026; D57, P = 0.025; D59, P = 0.024; D62, P = 0.018; D64, P = 0.02; D66, P = 0.014; D69, P = 0.008), body composition (e, saline n = 9; NT-3 n = 6, * indicates statistical significance between saline and NT-3 treatments with unpaired two-tailed t test), fat pad morphology (f) and fat pad mass (g, n = 8/group, * indicates statistical significance between saline and NT-3 treatments with unpaired two-tailed t test) in 6-week-old mice with NT-3 (50 µg/kg) i.p. injection every day for the first 2 weeks, then three times a week for 8 weeks while fed HFD. h, i Oxygen consumption (h) and heat production (i) in 6-week-old mice with NT-3 (50 µg/kg) i.p. injection every day for the first 2 weeks, then three times a week for 8 weeks while fed HFD (n = 7/group, * indicates statistical significance between saline and NT-3 treatments with unpaired two-tailed t test). j, k UCP1 and TH protein levels in iBAT (j, saline n = 9, NT-3 n = 8. * Indicates statistical significance between saline and NT-3 treatments with unpaired two-tailed t test) and representative H&E and UCP1 immunostaining in iBAT and iWAT (k, from three replicate animals/group, scale bar for iBAT = 75 µm, and for iWAT=150 µm) of 6-week-old mice with NT-3 (50 µg/kg) i.p. injection every day for the first 2 weeks, then three times a week for 8 weeks while fed HFD. l Correlation between serum NT-3 levels and body weight in mice fed a HFD (n = 14, P = 0.034 with simple linear regression and Pearson’s correlation test, F (1, 12) = 5.748). All data are expressed as mean ± SEM.

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