Fig. 3: Rnf13^HKO mice present more severe insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis and liver injury in the HFD model.

a Schematic depiction of in vivo experiments performed to evaluate the function of RNF13 using hepatocyte-specific Rnf13 knockout (Rnf13^HKO) and the control (Rnf13^Flox/Flox) mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD). Body weights (b), blood glucose levels (c, d), GTT and ITT assays and the corresponding AUC (e–h), serum TG (i), serum TC levels (j), liver weights (k), ratios of liver weight to body weight (l) and liver TG levels (m) of Rnf13^Flox/Flox and Rnf13^HKO mice at the indicated time points during NCD or HFD consumption (n = 9). H&E (n), Oil Red O staining (o), and corresponding quantification of liver sections obtained from Rnf13^Flox/Flox and Rnf13^HKO mice fed with NCD and HFD for 24 weeks. Scale bars, 100 μm (n = 6). p Lipometabolic mRNA expression in the liver of Rnf13^Flox/Flox and Rnf13^HKO mice after HFD feeding (n = 4). Serum ALT (q) and AST (r) levels of Rnf13^Flox/Flox and Rnf13^HKO mice after NCD or HFD consumption (n = 9). Data were expressed as mean ± SD. Two-tailed Student’s t-test for n–p, one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc analysis for c, d, f, h–m, q and r, two-way repeated-measures ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc analyses for b, e and g (Upper p-value for comparison between HFD Rnf13^Flox/Flox group and HFD Rnf13^HKO group; Lower p-value for comparison between NCD Rnf13^Flox/Flox group and HFD Rnf13^Flox/Flox group). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.