Oral Administration of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Increases Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Level in an Animal Brain

As a redox-sensitive coenzyme, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) plays a central role in cellular energy metabolism and homeostasis. Low NAD(+) levels are linked to multiple disease states, including age-related diseases, such as metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Consequently, restoring/increasing NAD(+) levels in vivo has emerged as an important intervention targeting age-related neurodegenerative diseases. One of the widely studied approaches to increase NAD(+) levels in vivo is accomplished by using NAD(+) precursors, such as nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). Oral administration of NMN has been shown to successfully increase NAD(+) levels in a variety of tissues; however, it remains unclear whether NMN can cross the blood–brain barrier to increase brain NAD(+) levels. This study evaluated the effects of oral NMN administration on NAD(+) levels in C57/B6J mice brain tissues. Our results demonstrate that oral gavage of 400 mg/kg NMN successfully increases brain NAD(+) levels in mice after 45 min. These findings provide evidence that NMN may be used as an intervention to increase NAD(+) levels in the brain.