%20is%20essential%20for%20social%20recognition,%20memory,%20and%20emotional%20behaviors,%20and%20it%20also%20reduces%20anxiety,%20especially%20during%20stress.%20CD38%20is%20an%20enzyme%20that%20produces%20cyclic%20ADP-ribos...){kind=link}
Nicotinamide Riboside Improves Social Behavior and Anxiety in Autism: Preclinical Findings
Synopsis
Oxytocin (OT) is essential for social recognition, memory, and emotional behaviors, and it also reduces anxiety, especially during stress. CD38 is an enzyme that produces cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR), a molecule important for OT release. CD157, a related protein, is thought to help produce and release OT, but its low expression in adult mouse brains cast doubt on its role. This study found that mice lacking CD157 have low OT levels in their cerebrospinal fluid, which can be restored by giving them nicotinamide riboside, a vitamin precursor to NAD+. NAD+ is needed for CD157 and CD38 to produce cADPR. Nicotinamide riboside improved social behavior and reduced anxiety-like behaviors in these CD157 knockout mice. These findings suggest that increasing NAD+ with nicotinamide riboside may help overcome social and anxiety deficits caused by problems in cADPR and OT production.
Journal
Scientific Reports