摘要：Lipid metabolism balance plays a vital role in maintaining normal levels of sterols, triglycerides, and free fatty acids (FFA). Inhibiting FFA-induced lipotoxicity is considered a highly potential treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other lipid metabolism diseases. Punicalagin (PU), a pomegranate-derived polyphenol, has been found to effectively regulate lipid metabolism and prevent fatty liver, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases caused by lipid metabolism disorders. In the present study, we found that PU protects HepG2 cells from palmitic acid (PA)-induced lipapoptosis. Silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) plays a key role in protecting against lipapoptosis in HepG2 cells. Knockdown of SIRT1 significantly diminished the protective effect of PU. Besides, PU could be able to reactivate weakened autophagy and inhibit PA-induced ER stress. Our findings supported that PU can effectively attenuate FFA-induced lipotoxicity via activating SIRT1/autophagy and inhibiting ER stress.
