Role of SIRT3 in digestive system diseases and therapeutic prospects (Review)

The family of silent information regulators (sirtuins) constitutes a highly conserved protein family that exhibits two primary enzymatic activities in vitro: NAD⁺‑dependent protein deacetylase activity and adenosine diphosphate‑ribose transferase activity. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), a member of the sirtuin family, is widely expressed in mitochondria‑rich tissues such as the brain, heart, liver and kidney, and functions primarily as a deacetylase. The deacetylations regulated by SIRT3 modulate various metabolic substances and processes within the mitochondrial matrix, playing a crucial role in maintaining normal digestive system function. Therefore, this review focuses on the role of SIRT3 in digestive system diseases to elucidate its function in pathogenic signaling pathways and explore the development of drug targets targeting SIRT3 and related disease pathways, offering new directions for improving the treatment of digestive system‑related diseases.