Nicotinamide Improves Aspects of Healthspan, but Not Lifespan, in Mice

Cell Metab. 2018 Mar 6;27(3):667-676.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.02.001.

Abstract

The role in longevity and healthspan of nicotinamide (NAM), the physiological precursor of NAD+, is elusive. Here, we report that chronic NAM supplementation improves healthspan measures in mice without extending lifespan. Untargeted metabolite profiling of the liver and metabolic flux analysis of liver-derived cells revealed NAM-mediated improvement in glucose homeostasis in mice on a high-fat diet (HFD) that was associated with reduced hepatic steatosis and inflammation concomitant with increased glycogen deposition and flux through the pentose phosphate and glycolytic pathways. Targeted NAD metabolome analysis in liver revealed depressed expression of NAM salvage in NAM-treated mice, an effect counteracted by higher expression of de novo NAD biosynthetic enzymes. Although neither hepatic NAD+ nor NADP+ was boosted by NAM, acetylation of some SIRT1 targets was enhanced by NAM supplementation in a diet- and NAM dose-dependent manner. Collectively, our results show health improvement in NAM-supplemented HFD-fed mice in the absence of survival effects.

Keywords: NAD; NAMPT; aging; calorie restriction mimetics; dietary interventions; geroscience; high-fat diet; nicotinamide; sirtuin.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diet, High-Fat
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fatty Liver / drug therapy
  • Healthy Aging / metabolism*
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Liver* / drug effects
  • Liver* / metabolism
  • Longevity
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • NAD / metabolism*
  • Niacinamide / administration & dosage
  • Niacinamide / pharmacology*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Sirtuin 1 / metabolism

Substances

  • NAD
  • Niacinamide
  • Sirt1 protein, mouse
  • Sirtuin 1