Weights of mice were monitored weekly throughout the study. Hyperglycemia was assessed every two weeks using an Abbott AlphaTrak glucometer (Abbott Park, IL). Glucose intolerance was assessed by intra-peritoneal glucose tolerance test at 8 weeks as previously described (Stenkamp-Strahm et al. 2013 (link)). Briefly, after fasting mice for 6 hours during the onset of light cycle, blood was drawn from a tail vein and blood glucose (BG) values were obtained using an Abbott AlphaTrak glucometer. Each mouse received an intra-peritoneal injection of glucose solution (1 g/kg–1) and BG values were measured at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after by tail vein blood draw. Homeostatic model (HOMA) values were generated to measure insulin resistance in mice as previously described (Matthews et al. 1985 (link)). To measure insulin, on the day of euthanasia, mice were fasted for 4 hours during the light cycle and blood was collected from a submandibular vein. BG values were measured and serum was collected and stored at −80°C. Serum insulin values were measured using a Milliplex kit (Billerica, MA).