Nicotinamide Riboside Increases Stress Sensitivity and Alters Blood Cell Composition in Aging: Preclinical Findings

Synopsis

Nicotinamide riboside (NR) is a precursor to NAD⁺, a key molecule for cellular energy that declines with age. Aging can cause reduced brain and immune function, changes in blood, and greater stress vulnerability. While NR can help slow some age-related declines, it's unclear if benefits remain under long-term stress. In this study, older mice received NR for six weeks while experiencing daily stress. NR prevented stress-related drops in platelet counts and increased B and T cell numbers, but it also made mice more stress-sensitive, causing more anxiety-like behaviors, and had no effect on cognition. These results suggest NR may boost immune function but could worsen stress responses, so future research should consider stress when studying its use in aging.

Journal

GeroScience