F-box only protein 2 exacerbates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by targeting the hydroxyl CoA dehydrogenase alpha subunit

Figure 3 Overexpression of F-box only protein 2 exacerbated high-fat diet-induced liver steatosis, insulin-resistance, and abnormal glucose metabolism. A: Representative images indicating histological changes in the livers of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-His-vector and AAV-His-F-box only protein 2 (FBXO2) mice after 16 wk of administering an high-fat diet (HFD); B and C: Representative images of hematoxylin and eosin and Oil Red O staining of liver tissue obtained from AAV-His-vector and AAV-His-FBXO2 mice after 16 wk of HFD. Scale bars, 50 μm and 100 μm; D-G: The liver weight, ratio of liver weight/body weight, serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in AAV-His-vector and AAV-His-FBXO2 mice after 16 wk of administering an HFD (n = 6 per group); H: quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of the expression of genes associated with lipogenesis, fatty acid secretion and uptake, and oxidation in AAV-His-vector and AAV-His-FBXO2 mice after 16 wk of administering an HFD (n = 6 per group); I: Fasting blood glucose levels; J: Fasting serum insulin levels; K: The homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; L: Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) scores; M: Insulin tolerance test (ITT); N: Calculated area under curve of OGTT and ITT in the AAV-His-vector mice and AAV-His-FBXO2 mice after 16 wk of HFD (n = 6 per group). ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001. AAV: Adeno-associated virus; FBXO2: F-box only protein 2; H&E: Hematoxylin and eosin; ITT: Insulin tolerance test; OGTT: Oral glucose tolerance test; LW: Liver weight; BW: Body weight; TG: Triglyceride; T-Cho: Total cholesterol; HOMA-IR: Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance; FASN: Fatty acid synthase; PPAR: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor; CD36: Cluster of differentiation 36; ACOX1: Acyl-CoA oxidase 1; ECH1: Enoyl coenzyme A hydratase 1; MCAD: Medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase.