Chemotherapy lowers muscle NAD+ in mice, preprint finds
A preprint in healthy mice reported that common chemotherapy regimens reduced NAD+ in skeletal muscle and, after prolonged treatment, also in the liver. The loss of muscle NAD+ accompanied muscle atrophy. The study has not yet been peer reviewed.
Source: Chemotherapy Lowers Muscle NAD+ in Mice, Preprint Finds (biorxiv.org). Summary written with AI from the source and reviewed by rules; read the original.
What the research shows
The preprint was conducted in healthy mice. The researchers observed that common chemotherapy regimens reduced levels of NAD+, a molecule involved in cellular metabolism, in skeletal muscle. After prolonged treatment, the decline also appeared in the liver. According to the text, the loss of muscle NAD+ accompanied atrophy, or shrinking, of the muscle.
NAD+ takes part in many energy-producing processes in cells, and the metabolic pathway linked to it has already been studied in age-related muscle loss. This makes the finding a plausible hypothesis. Still, results in mice do not always hold in people, and a preprint has not yet passed review by other experts. The study also does not by itself show how this affects patients undergoing treatment.
What it means
The finding suggests chemotherapy may affect NAD+ metabolism in muscle, possibly linked to muscle atrophy. Because it is a mouse study and not yet peer reviewed, the result is preliminary. It is not known whether the same happens in humans or how clinically important the effect would be.
How to read it with care
This result does not replace a medical consultation. Anyone undergoing chemotherapy, or considering a change in diet, supplements or treatment, should talk to their treating doctor or another qualified professional before making any decision.