Notably, even at this moderate level of suppression, the nSMase2 deficiency caused a significant reduction in TNF-α transcripts (Figure 6B) and protein expression (Figure 6C) in HepG2 cells under steatosis-inducing conditions, implying that nSMase2 had a potential role in inducing inflammation in this model of steatosis. Here, TNF is linked to steatosis.