collection via the retro-orbital venous sinus under anaesthesia by inhalation of isoflurane. Serum activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as serum levels of triglyceride (TG), glucose, total bilirubin, and alcohol were measured using kits (Pointe Scientific, Canton, MI). The livers were rapidly excised into fragments and washed with cold saline. One piece of liver tissue was put in neutral Formalin solution for paraffin bedding. The remaining liver tissue aliquots were stored at −80°C for further assays. Liver homogenates were prepared in ice-cold 0.15 M potassium chloride (KCl), and liver TG content was measured using a kit (Pointe Scientific, Canton, MI).
