Six-week-old male C57BL/6 J Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) mice, weighing between 19–22 g, were purchased from Beijing Vitonglihua Laboratory Animal Science and Technology Co., LTD. (Beijing, China). The mice were kept in a specific pathogen-free (SPF) mouse facility with a 12-h light-dark cycle at a room temperature of 18–23 °C and 45–55% relative humidity for acclimatization. They were given the standard growth maintenance chow feed (GMCF purchased from Beijing Keao Xieli Feed Limited Company, Beijing, China; Product ID: 1016706714625204224; GB14924.3-2010, China National Standard) and water ad libitum. The nutrients of GMCF were described in our previous work33 (link). Whey protein (250 g/bottle) was obtained from Yuanye Biotechnology Co., Ltd. The Whey protein was dissolved in deionized water to prepare a 0.3 g/mL solution and gavaged to the mice at a dose of 0.5 mL per mouse. Dexamethasone (DEX,100 mg; Solarbio, China) was dissolved in 2 mL of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent.
All experimental procedures involving animals were performed in accordance with protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Usage Committees (IACUC) of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development, MARA. The approval number for these procedures is YYSLLSC20200047.
All experimental procedures involving animals were performed in accordance with protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Usage Committees (IACUC) of the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development, MARA. The approval number for these procedures is YYSLLSC20200047.