Hepatic hepcidin gene expression and serum iron levels in hepatocyte-specific Alk3-deficient mice challenged with mIL-6. Male Alk3^fl/fl and Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice were injected intraperitoneally with mIL-6 (n = 5 and 6, in each group, respectively) or vehicle (0.1% BSA in PBS; n = 5 and 3, in each group, respectively) and were euthanized after 4 hours. (A) Hepatic hepcidin mRNA levels in Alk3^fl/fl and Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with mIL-6 or vehicle (1 way-ANOVA, P < .0001; *P = .0027: Alk3^fl/fl mice injected with vehicle vs Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with vehicle; ^†P < .0001: Alk3^fl/fl mice injected with vehicle vs Alk3^fl/fl mice injected with mIL-6; ^#P < .0001: Alk3^fl/fl mice injected with mIL-6 vs Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with mIL-6). As depicted in an inset, hepatic hepcidin mRNA levels in Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with mIL-6 did not differ from those in Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with vehicle. (B) Alk3 mRNA levels (1 way-ANOVA, P < .0001; *P < .0001: Alk3^fl/fl mice injected with vehicle vs Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with vehicle; ^#P < .0001: Alk3^fl/fl mice injected with mIL-6 vs Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with mIL-6). (C) Serum iron levels (1 way-ANOVA, P < .0001; *P < .0001: Alk3^fl/fl mice injected with vehicle vs Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with vehicle; ^#P < .0001: Alk3^fl/fl mice injected with mIL-6 vs Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice injected with mIL-6).