Article: Nicotinamide Riboside Restores NAD+ and Autophagy After Kidney Injury: Preclinical Findings

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Kidney Disease Kidney Health Preclinical

Nicotinamide Riboside Restores NAD+ and Autophagy After Kidney Injury: Preclinical Findings

Synopsis

Acute kidney injury (AKI) can quickly lead to kidney failure and increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study, scientists tested whether nicotinamide riboside (NR)—a vitamin B3 derivative that boosts NAD+, a key molecule for energy and cellular repair—could protect the kidneys in rats after ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), a common cause of AKI. They found that IRI lowered NAD+ levels, damaged kidney tubules, and disrupted mitochondrial function and autophagy, the process that clears damaged cell components. Giving NR before injury successfully restored NAD+ levels, improved autophagy, and increased SIRT1, a protective protein, but did not prevent tissue damage or fibrosis, which mark the transition from AKI to CKD. These findings suggest that while NAD+ restoration supports cellular metabolism, NR alone is not enough to stop long-term kidney injury after acute stress.

Journal

PLoS ONE

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