Maintaining proper cellular NAD+ level has been gradually recognized as an important approach for combating aging (6). However, as NAD+ cannot be absorbed directly by cells, supplementation of NAD+ precursors, such as NMN and NR, which are presented in natural foods, including broccoli, tomatoes, milk, etc., has been tested in cell/animal models, as well as human clinical trials with relatively satisfying results (25). Therefore, NMN and NR are now being marketed in many countries as food supplements. Nonetheless, whether these two compounds have the same efficacy is worth of further investigation, in particular, considering the huge market share and financial gain.
One key aspect for the beneficial effects of NMN and NR is protection against DNA damage. Indeed, many studies have clearly demonstrated such effects. For example, a recent study showed that administration of NMN maintained telomere length and dampened the DDR by activating Sirt1 (2). NMN administration could also significantly minimize tubular cell DNA damage and subsequent cellular senescence caused by H2O2 and hypoxia (14). Similarly, NR reduced DNA damage levels in AD mice (9, 10). These results indicated that the NAD+ precursors, both NMN and NR, could alleviate DNA damage, though a quantified comparison between the two has not been reported. In this study, HeLa cells were treated with NMN or NR before exposure to cisplatin, and the DNA damage levels were detected. Interestingly, the γH2AX immunofluorescent microscopy and comet assay results showed that both NMN and NR mitigated cisplatin-induced DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner, but NR had a stronger protective effect than NMN (Fig. 2).
Based on the biosynthesis pathway for NAD+, NMN is a more direct precursor for NAD+, and thus should have better efficacy than NR. On the other hand, in mammals, exogenous NR is transported into cells through ENTs, while exogenous NMN has to be converted into NR by CD38 (8), and the conversion of NMN to NR is essential for it to act as extracellular precursor of intracellular NAD+ in HEK293 cells (16). The extra step in cellular entrance for NMN might be the reason of its less efficient DNA damage protection. However, a recent study reported that NMN can be directly transported into cells via the transporter coded by the SLC12A8 gene in the intestine of mice (7).. If this were the case, then some other mechanisms should be looked into. Still, as whether HeLa cells as well as human intestinal cells express SLC12A8 are not yet known, the expression pattern of SLC12A8 in human tissues should be carefully examined.
As a first-line therapeutic drug against cancer, the underlying molecular mechanisms for the toxic effects of cisplatin have been well studied, and decreasing cellular NAD+ levels (or decreased NAD+/NADH ratio) is one of them (18). This imbalance in NAD+/NADH is coupled with the generation of excess ROS, which can lead to extensive DNA damage. Once DNA is damaged, various DNA repair systems would be activated to deal with the different types of damage. Among them, the PARP1-mediated pathway is very important for the toxic effect of cisplatin (15), as it is an early sensor of single- and double-strand breaks and catalyzes ADP-ribosylation using NAD+ as substrate to mediate DNA damage repair (11). As a consequence to PARP1 activation, cellular NAD+ levels would be decreased further, and if NAD+ levels were not properly restored, the exhaustion of NAD+ eventually causes deleterious effect on cells, such as apoptosis. Therefore, the basis for protective effects of NMN and NR lie in their ability to restore cellular NAD+ levels. Indeed, the results presented here showed that cisplatin decreased cellular NAD+ levels, while both NMN and NR could restore NAD+ levels (Fig. 4). As a result, cisplatin induced ROS generation was inhibited (Fig. 5), repair of damaged DNA was more effective (Fig. 3), and cell viability was rescued by both NMN and NR (Fig. 1). However, unlike the preventive effects for DNA damage (Fig. 2), there was no significant difference between NMN and NR in these analyses. The reason for such discrepancy remains elusive and needs to be investigated in depth.