Dantrolene prevents hepatic steatosis by reducing cytoplasmic Ca2+ level and ER stress

Introduction: Our previous studies demonstrated that dantrolene, a ryanodine receptor stabilizer, prevents endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the heart. ER stress is a strong mediator of impaired lipid metabolism in the liver, thereby contributing to fatty liver disease. In this study, we investigated the effects of dantrolene on fatty liver disease in mice and ER stress in hepatocytes. Methods and results: Eight weeks old C57BL/6 mice were fed high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks with or without the oral administration of dantrolene (100 mg/kg/day). The livers of mice without dantrolene (HFD group) showed severe fatty liver, whereas the livers of the mice treated with dantrolene (HFD + DAN group) only showed slightly fatty liver. To address the preventive effects of dantrolene, primary hepatocytes were cultured with palmitate in the presence or absence of dantrolene. Dantrolene reduced lipid load and prevents palmitate-induced increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ and ER stress. Based on these findings, we propose that dantrolene is a potential new therapeutic agent against fatty liver disease.