Intracellular pigment epithelium-derived factor contributes to triglyceride degradation.

•Hepatic PEDF was decreased in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice and db/db mice.•PEDF has a cytoplasmic distribution, and exogenous PEDF could be absorbed by hepatocytes.•Intracellular PEDF promotes triglyceride degradation via ATGL.•Intracellular PEDF increases ATGL–G0S2 binding and facilitates its translocation onto lipid droplets.•PEDF binds to C-terminal of ATGL (aa268–504) and binds to ATGL–G0S2 complex simultaneously.