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Hepatic SIRT6 Deficiency Accelerates Female-Specific Aging Through SULT1E1-Mediated Estrogen Depletion.

Liu Y, Zhang Z, Wang T, Yang X, Zhang Q, Liu X, Lu X, Zhang J, Feng L.

International journal of molecular sciences · 2026

Abstract

Sexual dimorphism is a fundamental feature of aging, yet the liver-centric mechanisms underlying sex-specific aging trajectories remain incompletely understood. SIRT6, a NAD<sup>+</sup>-dependent deacetylase, is a master regulator of genome stability, metabolic homeostasis, and longevity. However, its cell-type- and sex-specific functions in aging have not been fully characterized. Here, we generated hepatocyte-specific <i>Sirt6</i> knockout (HKO) mice of both sexes and evaluated longitudinal lifespan, comprehensive metabolic profiling, hepatic histopathology, and transcriptomic profiles. Female HKO mice exhibited an acceleration of aging and a 17.60% reduction in median lifespan, characterized by severe systemic gerometabolic decline, visceral adiposity, and advanced metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). In stark contrast, aged male HKO mice displayed an enhanced catabolic state and lipid-clearing phenotype via the compensatory reprogramming. Mechanistically, hepatic <i>Sirt6</i> deficiency in females exclusively hyperactivated the expression of estrogen sulfotransferase SULT1E1, resulting in reduced circulating estradiol levels. This hormonal collapse triggered a self-amplifying pathological triad of de novo lipogenesis, genomic instability, and cellular senescence(definition). Crucially, pharmacological SIRT6 activation using the small-molecule activator MDL-800 suppressed <i>Sult1e1</i> expression, restored estrogen homeostasis, and successfully rescued the gerometabolic phenotypes in aged female mice. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that hepatic SIRT6 regulates female lifespan and healthspan(definition) by safeguarding estrogen homeostasis, defining the druggable SIRT6-SULT1E1 axis as a sex-stratified therapeutic target against age-related metabolic decline.

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Provenance

Source
Europe PMC
DOI
10.3390/ijms27157039
Canonical
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Fetched
2026-10-11 MST

Cite this

APA
Y, L., Z, Z., T, W., X, Y., Q, Z., X, L., X, L., J, Z., &amp; L., F. (2026). Hepatic SIRT6 Deficiency Accelerates Female-Specific Aging Through SULT1E1-Mediated Estrogen Depletion. <em>International journal of molecular sciences</em>. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27157039
Vancouver
Y L, Z Z, T W, X Y, Q Z, X L, et al. Hepatic SIRT6 Deficiency Accelerates Female-Specific Aging Through SULT1E1-Mediated Estrogen Depletion. International journal of molecular sciences. 2026. doi:10.3390/ijms27157039.
BibTeX
@article{liu2026Hepati, title = {Hepatic SIRT6 Deficiency Accelerates Female-Specific Aging Through SULT1E1-Mediated Estrogen Depletion.}, author = {Liu Y and Zhang Z and Wang T and Yang X and Zhang Q and Liu X and Lu X and Zhang J and Feng L.}, journal = {International journal of molecular sciences}, year = {2026}, doi = {10.3390/ijms27157039}, }

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