Figure 2. Oral GlcNAc promotes weight-gain and lipid accumulation in adult mice.

(A) Change in body-weight for wild-type C57BL/6 male mice on 4% or 9% fat diet with GlcNAc or GlcN supplemented drinking water at 0.5 mg/ml. Data shown are mean ± SEM, n = 10, analyzed by 2-tailed unpaired Student’s t-test, with significant differences indicated as *p < 0.05 for 9% fat control versus 9% fat on GlcNAc. (B) Body-weight and (C) calorie-intake per mouse per day following 21 weeks of GlcNAc treatment. (D) Lean and fat tissue composition measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Data shown are mean ± SEM, n = 10, *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 GlcNAc-treated versus control on either 4% or 9% fat diet. (E) Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER = VCO₂/VO₂) over 20 h period, (F) RER quantification by night and day, (G) energy expenditure and (H) total activity in mice supplemented with oral GlcNAc on 9% fat diet. Data shown are mean ± SEM, n = 5, *p < 0.05 and **p <  < 0.01. (I) Serum free fatty-acids (FFA) and triglycerides (TG), and (J) serum metabolite changes in mice on 9% fat diet and supplemented with 0.5 mg/ml oral GlcNAc for 90 days. Data shown are mean and error bars represent ± SEM, n = 5, *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 GlcNAc-treated versus control with 2-tailed, unpaired Student’s t-test.