Cell Metabolism
Volume 9, Issue 4, 8 April 2009, Pages 327-338
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Article
Hepatocyte-Specific Deletion of SIRT1 Alters Fatty Acid Metabolism and Results in Hepatic Steatosis and Inflammation

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Summary

Hepatic metabolic derangements are key components in the development of fatty liver, insulin resistance, and atherosclerosis. SIRT1, a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase, is an important regulator of energy homeostasis in response to nutrient availability. Here we demonstrate that hepatic SIRT1 regulates lipid homeostasis by positively regulating peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α (PPARα), a nuclear receptor that mediates the adaptive response to fasting and starvation. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of SIRT1 impairs PPARα signaling and decreases fatty acid β-oxidation, whereas overexpression of SIRT1 induces the expression of PPARα targets. SIRT1 interacts with PPARα and is required to activate PPARα coactivator PGC-1α. When challenged with a high-fat diet, liver-specific SIRT1 knockout mice develop hepatic steatosis, hepatic inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Taken together, our data indicate that SIRT1 plays a vital role in the regulation of hepatic lipid homeostasis and that pharmacological activation of SIRT1 may be important for the prevention of obesity-associated metabolic diseases.

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