Blood samples were taken from the sublingual vein in conscious non-fasted animals. They were collected in K3-EDTA microvettes and after centrifugation plasma was isolated and kept at − 20 °C until further analysis. Triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), free fatty acids (FFA), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), Haptoglobin and β-hydroxybutyrate were measured using a Cobas 6000 c501 instrument (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, D-68296 Mannheim, Germany), according to manufacturer’s instructions. Plasma levels of MCP-1 and TIMP-1 were analyzed using a multiplex assay, (K15179-C1, Mesoscale Discovery, MD, USA).