# Understanding the roles of cardiac NAD pools and therapeutic effects of precursor supplements in heart failure

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2024 · $644,038

## Abstract

Understanding the roles of cardiac NAD+ pools and therapeutic effects of precursor supplements in
heart failure
We are exploring the hypothesis that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) metabolism can be targeted
to improve functional capacity in failing human hearts. NAD+ is a ubiquitous molecule that is required as a
redox cofactor or substrate for hundreds of enzymes within the cell. It is derived from dietary tryptophan,
niacin, nicotinamide, or synthetic intermediates, but the majority of synthesis in the heart is via nicotinamide.
NAD+ concentration falls in failing human hearts and in some rodent models of heart failure. High doses of
precursors including nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) have therapeutic
effects in rodent models. However, the doses used exceed what is tolerable in humans and the potential for
effects at human-relevant doses remains uncertain. Our preliminary and published results suggest that high
doses of NR and NMN may be required in rodent models because both molecules are extensively metabolized
in the intestines and liver when delivered orally, with only a tiny fraction reaching the circulation intact. In
contrast, intravenous delivery allows a much higher proportion of the dose to reach organs such as the heart.
In addition to questions about dosing, the mechanism of protection has remained unclear. It is presumed to
involve cardiac NAD+ levels, but whole-body supplementation studies leave open the possibility that other
tissues mediate protection, for example through lowering blood pressure. We present a knockout mouse with
cardiomyocyte-specific loss of NAD+ that impairs heart function and propose the generation of a new model
to specifically test the role of mitochondrial NAD+ within the cardiomyocytes. This will be accomplished by
targeting SLC25A51, which we recently identified as the mitochondrial NAD+ transporter. We propose three
specific aims: Aim 1) Test whether heart-specific NAD+ depletion is sufficient to recapitulate the metabolic
and electrical consequences of heart failure, Aim 2) Test whether alternate delivery routes can allow cardiac
NAD+ to be rescued by low, human-relevant doses in mice, and Aim 3) Test whether altering mitochondrial
NAD+ is sufficient to modulate heart function on its own or modifies susceptibility to induced heart failure. Our
approach of using AAV to target SLC25A51 expression in the heart will be the first time that modulation of
this protein to alter the mitochondrial NAD+ pool has been attempted in vivo. Together, these studies will
reveal fundamental details of how NAD+ metabolism influences cardiac physiology, and will help guide efforts
to develop novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment or prevention of heart failure in human patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10844575
- **Project number:** 5R01HL165792-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph A. Baur
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $644,038
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-08-09 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10844575

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10844575, Understanding the roles of cardiac NAD pools and therapeutic effects of precursor supplements in heart failure (5R01HL165792-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10844575. Licensed CC0.

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