Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition strongly associated with obesity and insulin resistance, is characterized by hepatic lipid accumulation and activation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. The sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) protein deacetylase is emerging as a new player in metabolic homeostasis, but its role in the development of hepatic steatosis and its link with ER stress activation remains unknown. SIRT2-knockout (SIRT2-KO) and wild-type mice were fed either a control or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks. Genetic manipulation of SIRT2 levels was performed in human hepatic cells. Although apparently normal under a control diet, SIRT2-KO mice showed accelerated body weight gain and adiposity on a HFD, accompanied by severe insulin resistance. Importantly, SIRT2-KO mice exhibited worsened hepatic steatosis independently from diet, consistent with upregulated gene expression of lipogenic enzymes and increased expression of ER stress markers. Exposure of hepatic cells to palmitate induced lipid accumulation, increased ER stress, and decreased SIRT2 expression. Moreover, SIRT2-silenced cells showed enhanced lipid accumulation and ER stress activation under basal conditions, whereas SIRT2 overexpression abrogated palmitate-induced lipid deposition and ER stress activation. Our findings reveal a role for SIRT2 in the regulation of hepatic lipid homeostasis, potentially through the ER stress response, suggesting that SIRT2 activation might constitute a therapeutic strategy against obesity and its metabolic complications.
Keywords: ER stress; SIRT2; hepatic steatosis; insulin resistance.