Vitamin B3 can Revitalize Energy Metabolism in Muscle Disease

Vitamin B3, niacin, has a therapeutic effect in progressive muscle disease, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Vitamin B3 are precursors for NAD+, a molecular switch of metabolism between fasting and growth modes.

Heavy Teens may Face Higher Heart Muscle Disease Risk as Adults
Being obese and overweight can put teens at a higher risk of developing heart muscle disease in later life, reveals a new study.

‘Vitamin B3 forms have emerged as potent boosters of energy metabolism.’

Tweet it Now

As fasting has been shown to promote health and longevity in, for example, mice, a variety of "NAD boosters" are being developed. However, whether actual NAD+ deficiency exists in human disease, and whether NAD+ boosters could have curative effects in patients with degenerative diseases, has remained elusive.

In the current publication, a collaborative team of investigators led by academy professor Anu Suomalainen-Wartiovaara and academy research fellow Eija Pirinen report lowered NAD+ levels in both blood and muscle of mitochondrial myopathy patients.

"The disease is characterized by progressive muscle weakness, exercise intolerance, and cramps. Currently, no treatments that would slow down disease progression exist", says Suomalainen-Wartiovaara.

Research Finds Impaired Protein Degradation Causes Muscle Diseases
Impaired protein degradation causes muscle diseases, German university RUB's researchers and international colleagues report in Brain

Niacin - a promising treatment option

Pirinen and colleagues report that niacin treatment efficiently increased blood NAD+ both in patients and healthy subjects. Niacin restored NAD+ in the muscle of the patients to the normal level and improved strength of large muscles and mitochondrial oxidative capacity. Overall metabolism shifted towards that of normal subjects.

Scientists Identify Possible Therapeutic Target for Muscle Disease
Researchers have evinced great interest in the study of muscular system protein myostatin as a potential therapeutic target for people with muscular disorders.

The results of this open pilot study revealed that niacin is a promising treatment option for mitochondrial myopathy. The authors emphasize, however, that niacin and NAD+ are efficient metabolic modifiers and niacin treatment should be cautiously applied only when NAD deficiency is detected for example in the patient's blood.

"Our results are a proof-of-principle that NAD+ deficiency exists in humans and that NAD+ boosters can delay the progression of mitochondrial muscle disease," Suomalainen-Wartiovaara comments.

Overweight Teens More Likely to Develop Heart Muscle Disease in Adulthood
Being obese and overweight in adolescence can put you at a higher risk of developing heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy) during adulthood, reveals a new study.

"The study is a significant leap in the development of targeted therapy options for energy metabolic diseases," Suomalainen-Wartiovaara continues.

Source-Eurekalert