Nicotinamide, a vitamin B3 ameliorates depressive behaviors independent of SIRT1 activity in mice

• Published in: Molecular brain Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Liu, Zhuxi, Li, Caiqin, Fan, Xuelian, Kuang, Yifang, Zhang, Xu, Chen, Lei, Song, Jinjing, Zhou, Ying, Takahashi, Eiki, He, Guang, Li, Weidong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central Ltd 23.11.2020; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Adenine; Adenosine triphosphate; Analysis; Antidepressants; Behavior; Depression, Mental; Drinking water; Experiments; Laboratory animals; Mental depression; Muscle proteins; NAD; Nestin; Niacin; Niacinamide; Nicotinic acid; Phenotypes; Polymerase chain reaction; Proteins; Reagents; Short Report; SIRT1 protein; Stress; Sucrose; Variance analysis; Switzerland; China
• ISSN: 1756-6606; 1756-6606
• DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00703-4

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), is a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + )-dependent protein deacetylase and a candidate gene for depression. Nicotinamide (NAM), a form of vitamin B3, is reported as a potential inhibitor of SIRT1. Our previous study found that the 24-h-restraint stress could induce long-term depressive-like phenotypes in mice. These mice displayed increased SIRT1 activity. Here, we studied whether NAM was capable of attenuating depressive behaviors through inhibiting SIRT1 activity. Surprisingly, the application of NAM significantly reversed the depressive behaviors but increased SIRT1 activity further. In contrast, the level of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was reduced in the restraint model for depression, and recovered by the administration of NAM. Furthermore, the Sirt1 flox/flox ; Nestin-Cre mice exhibited antidepressant behaviors and increased ATP levels. These data suggest that ATP plays an important role in depression pathogenesis, and NAM could be a potential treatment method for depression by regulating ATP independent of SIRT1 activity.