Nicotinamide Riboside Partially Improves Heart Function in Iron-Deficient Conditions: Preclinical Findings

Synopsis

Both too much and too little iron can damage the heart, but the way heart cells use iron is not fully understood. In this study, researchers investigated the role of the transferrin receptor (Tfr1)—a protein that helps cells take up iron—in heart function. When Tfr1 was removed from mouse heart cells, the animals developed severe heart enlargement, poor cardiac performance, and mitochondrial failure, leading to death within two weeks. These problems were linked to iron deficiency inside the heart and could only be fully corrected by high-dose iron treatment. However, nicotinamide riboside (NR), a precursor to the vital molecule NAD+, also partially improved heart function and mitochondrial activity. These findings reveal that Tfr1 is essential for maintaining healthy iron levels and mitochondrial energy production in the heart, and they suggest that boosting NAD+ with NR could be a potential strategy to support heart health in conditions involving heart failure or disrupted iron metabolism.

Journal

Cell Reports