Nicotinamide ribose ameliorates cognitive impairment of aged and Alzheimer's disease model mice.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Animal model experiment with no human data
PubMed 30523581 · doi:10.1007/s11011-018-0346-8
What was done
APP/PS1 transgenic Alzheimer's disease (AD) model mice and naturally aged mice received food supplemented with nicotinamide riboside (NR; 2.5 g/kg food) for 3 months. Researchers evaluated cognitive function, locomotor activity, and anxiety using standard behavioral tests. Pathological evaluations included assessments of body weight changes, microglial and astrocyte activation, amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulation, and serum nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) levels.
What was found
The abstract reports directional outcomes without exact numerical values, confidence intervals, or p-values. NR supplementation improved short-term spatial memory in aged mice and contextual fear memory in AD model mice. In aged mice, NR inhibited astrocyte activation and the elevation of serum NAMPT. In AD mice, NR reduced Aβ accumulation and astrocyte migration to Aβ. NR supplementation also suppressed body weight gain in both aged and APP/PS1 mice.
Why it matters
This study provides preclinical evidence that oral NAD+ precursor supplementation can attenuate neuroinflammation, reduce amyloid burden, and improve memory deficits in aging and Alzheimer's disease models.
Limits
The abstract provides no sample sizes (n) or quantitative values. As an animal model study, findings cannot be directly applied to human Alzheimer's disease or clinical cognitive decline without validation in human clinical trials.
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