PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sauve, Anthony A.
TI  - NAD<sup>+</sup> and Vitamin B<sub>3</sub>: From Metabolism to Therapies
AID  - 10.1124/jpet.107.120758
DP  - 2008 Mar 01
TA  - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
PG  - 883--893
VI  - 324
IP  - 3
4099  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/324/3/883.short
4100  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/324/3/883.full
SO  - J Pharmacol Exp Ther2008 Mar 01; 324
AB  - The role of NAD+ metabolism in health and disease is of increased interest as the use of niacin (nicotinic acid) has emerged as a major therapy for treatment of hyperlipidemias and with the recognition that nicotinamide can protect tissues and NAD+ metabolism in a variety of disease states, including ischemia/reperfusion. In addition, a growing body of evidence supports the view that NAD+ metabolism regulates important biological effects, including lifespan. NAD+ exerts potent effects through the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases, mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases, and the recently characterized sirtuin enzymes. These enzymes catalyze protein modifications, such as ADP-ribosylation and deacetylation, leading to changes in protein function. These enzymes regulate apoptosis, DNA repair, stress resistance, metabolism, and endocrine signaling, suggesting that these enzymes and/or NAD+ metabolism could be targeted for therapeutic benefit. This review considers current knowledge of NAD+ metabolism in humans and microbes, including new insights into mechanisms that regulate NAD+ biosynthetic pathways, current use of nicotinamide and nicotinic acid as pharmacological agents, and opportunities for drug design that are directed at modulation of NAD+ biosynthesis for treatment of human disorders and infections. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics