Potential benefits of NMN for hyperlipidemia: Exploring new pathways for cell health
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is an important intracellular coenzyme involved in a wide range of key metabolic reactions such as glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, fatty acid beta-oxidation and mitochondrial respiration.
With age there is a gradual decline in the level of NAD+ in the body, and with it a decrease in cellular function, leading to the development of a number of age-related diseases.
Increasing the level of NAD+ in the body has become a hot topic in anti-ageing research in recent years, especially in the treatment of metabolic diseases.
Emerging research shows that NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), as a precursor substance of NAD+, shows positive potential in the improvement of hyperlipidemia.
What is NMN?
NMN is a direct precursor of NAD+, produced by the conversion of niacinamide and 5′ phosphoribose pyrophosphate.
Studies have found that NMN has the ability to increase the level of NAD+ in the body, thereby activating a number of cellular pathways associated with metabolism, ageing and inflammatory responses.
Scientists have confirmed that NMN has a significant effect in the treatment of metabolic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Especially in improving lipid metabolism and reducing blood lipids, the role of NMN has gradually received widespread attention.
mechanism of NMN on hyperlipidemia
Hyperlipidemia is an important manifestation of metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by abnormally elevated levels of lipids in the blood, commonly including elevated levels of triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL).
Long-term high-fat diet will lead to the disorder of fat metabolism, which will lead to a series of health problems.
NMN improves hyperlipidemia through several mechanisms:
(1) Enhance fatty acid oxidation
NMN is able to activate the SIRT1 protein, a NAD+ dependent deacetylase that has been shown to regulate the metabolism of fatty acids.
Activation of SIRT1 not only promotes the oxidation of fatty acids, but also reduces fat accumulation, thereby lowering lipid levels.
(2) Regulate fat synthesis and decomposition
By increasing the level of NAD+, NMN regulates gene expression within fat cells, reduces the synthesis of fat and enhances the breakdown of fat.
Studies have shown that NMN can improve the function of mitochondria, promote the oxidation of fatty acids, and reduce fat accumulation.
(3) Improve insulin sensitivity
Hyperlipidemia is often accompanied by insulin resistance. NMN helps maintain normal blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity, thereby indirectly improving lipid metabolism and reducing blood lipids.
Results: Effects of NMN on high-fat diet mice
The research team at Wuhan University of Science and Technology conducted long-term experiments on mice on a high-fat diet to verify the role of NMN in improving hyperlipids.
C57BL/6J mice aged 14 months were divided into three groups: a normal diet (ND), a high-fat diet (HFD), and a high-fat diet +NMN intervention group (HFD+NMN).
The results showed that after NMN intervention, the weight of mice was significantly reduced, especially the fat content of the liver and the whole body was significantly decreased.
At the same time, NMN also increased energy metabolism, improved glucose tolerance, and significantly reduced levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in mice.
In terms of histopathology, the adipose tissue of mice with NMN intervention significantly reduced the volume of adipose cells, and the cells were more tightly arranged, and the damage of kidney and muscle tissue was also repaired to a certain extent.
Immunohistochemical test results showed that NMN significantly reduced the expression of p16 protein related to aging, showing a certain anti-aging effect.
Relationship between anti-aging mechanism of NMN and hyperlipidemia
NAD+ is at the heart of many important metabolic responses in cells, and with age the level of NAD+ gradually decreases, weakening the metabolic capacity of cells and thus accelerating the ageing process.
As a precursor of NAD+, NMN is capable of boosting the level of intracellular NAD+, thereby activating several signaling pathways associated with anti-aging, such as SIRT1, SIRT3, etc.
(1) SIRT1 and lipid metabolism
SIRT1 not only plays an important role in cell aging and stress response, but also is closely related to lipid metabolism.
By activating SIRT1, NMN can promote the oxidation of fat and slow down the accumulation of fat, thereby improving lipid levels.
(2) SIRT3 and mitochondrial function
Mitochondria are the factories of cellular energy, and the decline of their function is one of the important signs of aging.
SIRT3 is an important deacetylase in mitochondria. By activating SIRT3, NMN improves the function of mitochondria, enhances the oxidation capacity of fatty acids, promotes the effective utilization of energy, and improves lipid metabolism.
(3) Autophagy and lipid metabolism
Autophagy is a mechanism for removing damage and waste within cells, and studies have found that decreased levels of autophagy are closely related to aging and a variety of metabolic diseases.
By regulating autophagy, NMN can restore the normal function of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and further improve the condition of hyperlipidemia.
Prospect and challenge
Although NMN has shown significant effects in animal trials, more research and validation is needed to move from animal trials to clinical applications.
Metabolic differences between different species may affect the effect of NMN in humans.
The long-term safety and efficacy of NMN in humans still need to be confirmed by large-scale clinical trials.
