Therapeutic potential of dihydronicotinamide riboside (NRH) on obesity and glucose intolerance in mice

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

NAD + is a crucial metabolic cofactor whose intracellular levels can influence the progression of multiple metabolic and age-related complications. There is therefore a strong interest in using NAD + precursors (vitamin B3s) as therapeutic tools, but most current precursors exhibit either poor bioavailability or adverse effects. This study examines the metabolic impact of chronic dietary supplementation with a newly described NAD + precursor, dihydronicotinamide riboside (NRH), in mice using a comprehensive approach including phenotyping tests, RNA sequencing in different tissues and microbiome analyses. We show that chronic NRH administration at 100 mg/(kg*day) is well tolerated, yet has minimal metabolic effects in mice on a regular diet. However, NRH mitigates high-fat diet-induced metabolic complications when used as a preventive or as a treatment strategy, including improvements in glucose tolerance, increased hepatic expression of lipid catabolism genes and fat redistribution. These results highlight the potential of NRH as a therapeutic agent, although further studies are needed to optimize its use, as higher doses reveal signs of toxicity.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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