SIRT3 as a Regulator of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a hepatic presentation of obesity and metabolic syndrome. NAFLD includes a large spectrum of hepatic pathologies that range from simple steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), to liver cirrhosis without an all-encompassing approved therapeutic strategy. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key component of many metabolic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, NAFLD, and aging. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is a NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase that regulates many of the mitochondrial proteins that are involved with metabolic homeostasis, oxidative stress, and cell survival. This review discusses the association between mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance and later explore the possibility that SIRT3 plays a protective role against NAFLD by improving mitochondrial dysfunction.