OR03-06 NAD+ Availability Modulates 11β-HSD1-Mediated Glucocorticoid Regeneration in Mouse Skeletal Muscle

11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) is an NADPH-dependant reductase located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) lumen of skeletal muscle. It generates active glucocorticoids to regulate permissive and adaptive metabolism and contributes to the development of the Cushing’s syndrome phenotype in mice receiving oral corticosterone. The SR enzyme hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PDH) generates NADPH which supports 11β-HSD1 activity. H6PDH depletion disrupts the SR NADPH/NADP ratio leading 11β-HSD1 to assume glucocorticoid-inactivating dehydrogenase activity. Little is understood regarding routes to NAD(P)(H) biosynthesis and metabolism in the SR. Here we asked whether modulating cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) availability (the parent molecule of NAD(P)(H)) would influence muscle 11β-HSD1 activity given its sensitivity to the SR NADPH/NADP ratio. We used FK866 to inhibit nicotinamide phospho-ribosyltransferase (NAMPT, rate-limiting enzyme in NAD+ biosynthesis) to deplete NAD(P)(H) in wild type mouse primary myotubes. FK866 treatment for 48h impaired cellular energetic status, reducing NAD+ (>90%), NADP+ (>50%) and ATP (>30%) without limiting cell viability. 11β-HSD1 reductase activity was decreased to 30% that of untreated cells (152±18 vs. 512±44 pmol/mg protein/h respectively, p<0.005). Employing H6PD knockout myotubes, NADP+-dependent 11β-HSD1 dehydrogenase activity was also impaired following NAMPT inhibition. The NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR, 0.5mM), which bypasses NAMPT inhibition through the NR kinase pathway restored NAD+ levels and rapidly rescued 11β-HSD1 reductase activity in wild type and dehydrogenase activity in H6PD knockout myotubes. To assess this in vivo, we examined 11β-HSD1 reductase activity in muscle explants of inducible muscle-specific NAMPT knockout mice in which NAD+ levels are reduced by 90%, and show 40% lower activity compared to wild type explants (114±14 vs. 67±10 pmol/mg protein/h, p=0.04). These data suggest a novel level of redox-regulated 11β-HSD1-mediated glucocorticoid metabolism in skeletal muscle. These data also imply a pathway by which NAD+ status is communicated between the cytosol and the SR, which is contrary to the current belief that the pyridine nucleotide pool in these compartments is separate. NAMPT inhibition is being studied as a potential anti-cancer therapy and these data reveal hitherto unanticipated effects this therapy may have in a range of tissues.