Obesity is a serious medical problem worldwide and disruption of metabolic/energy homeostasis plays a pivotal role in this global epidemic. In obese people, fatty liver (steatosis) develops, which increases the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even, liver cancer. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is a NAD+-dependent deacetylase that functions as a key metabolic/energy sensor and mediates homeostatic responses to nutrient availability. Accumulating evidence indicates that SIRT1 is a master regulator of the transcriptional networks that control hepatic lipid metabolism. During energy-deprived conditions, SIRT1 deacetylates and alters the expression and activities of key transcriptional regulators involved in hepatic lipogenesis, fatty acid β-oxidation, and cholesterol/bile acid metabolism. This review will discuss the latest advances in this field, focusing on beneficial roles of SIRT1 in hepatic lipid metabolism including its potential as a therapeutic target for treatment of steatosis and other obesity-related metabolic diseases.
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