Nicotinamide riboside supplementation dysregulates redox and energy metabolism in rats: Implications for exercise performance


Kourtzidis IA, Dolopikou CF, Tsiftsis AN, Margaritelis NV, Theodorou AA, Zervos IA, Tsantarliotou MP, Veskoukis AS, Vrabas IS, Paschalis V, Kyparos A, Nikolaidis MG

Nicotinamide riboside is a recently discovered form of vitamin B3 that can increase NAD(P) levels. NAD(P) play key roles in energy metabolism and their main function is the transfer of electrons in various cellular reactions. Research in aged or diseased mice reported that nicotinamide riboside increases NAD(H) levels, reduces morbidity and improves health and muscle function. We have recently shown that in healthy young rats, chronic administration of nicotinamide riboside decreased exercise performance by 35% (p = 0.071). As a follow-up to this finding, we analyzed samples from these animals, trying to reveal the potential mechanisms driving this adverse effect, focusing on redox homeostasis and bioenergetics. Thirty eight Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (n = 10), exercise (n = 9), nicotinamide riboside (n = 10) and exercise plus nicotinamide riboside (n = 9). Nicotinamide riboside was administered for 21 days (300 mg/kg body weight daily). At the end of administration, the exercise and the exercise plus nicotinamide riboside groups performed an incremental swimming performance test until exhaustion. Nicotinamide riboside supplementation increased the levels of NADPH in liver (P = .050), increased the levels of F2 -isoprostanes in plasma (P = .047), decreased the activity of glutathione peroxidase (P = .017), glutathione reductase (P < .001) and catalase (P = .024) in erythrocytes, increased the levels of glycogen in liver (P < .001) and decreased the levels of glucose (P = .016) and maximal lactate accumulation in plasma (P = .084). These findings support the prevailing idea that exogenously administered redox agents in heathy populations may lead to adverse and not necessarily to beneficial or neutral effects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Journal

Exp Physiol

Model

Rat

Impact Factor

2.732

Keywords

exercise; nicotinamide riboside; oxidative stress