The research team at Tsinghua University has made significant progress in exploring the beneficial effects of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) on liver function.
01 Improve protein acetylation caused by liver aging
Studies have shown that protein acetylation levels, which are closely associated with aging, exhibit a widespread increase in the aging liver. However, appropriate supplementation with NMN has been confirmed as a key intervention capable of effectively curbing this detrimental trend.
As a critical post-translational modification mechanism, protein acetylation profoundly influences the catalytic activity, structural stability, and the ability of proteins to interact with other proteins or chromatin molecules. During the aging process, an imbalance in protein acetylation is considered one of the core factors leading to the gradual decline of liver physiological functions.
NMN improves this condition by increasing intracellular NAD⁺ levels in liver cells, thereby activating the NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase Sirtuins family. This activation promotes the deacetylation of various substrate proteins, helping to correct protein acetylation imbalances and ultimately restore the liver’s metabolic functions.
02 Regulate liver metabolic function
Studies have shown that NMN has the ability to regulate a range of key metabolic pathways, including fatty acid β-oxidation, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and valine degradation. These metabolic pathways form the foundation of hepatic energy metabolism and play an essential role in ensuring the liver maintains its normal physiological functions.
NMN supplementation can enhance the activity of these metabolic pathways, improve the liver’s glucose uptake and utilization efficiency, and reduce fat accumulation in the liver. As a result, it helps lower the risk of developing diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and supports overall liver health.
03 Enhance the liver’s antioxidant stress capacity.
NMN, by precisely regulating the protein acetylation process, significantly enhances the activity levels of key antioxidant enzymes in liver cells, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx).
These highly efficient antioxidant enzymes act like loyal guardians, effectively eliminating harmful free radicals and reducing oxidative stress-induced damage to liver cells. As a result, they significantly enhance the resilience and recovery capacity of liver cells when facing various stress challenges.
04 Prevent liver fibrosis.
Liver fibrosis is a reversible wound-healing response to acute or chronic liver injury, which can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer if left unchecked. Research from Professor Hai-Teng Deng’s team at Tsinghua University has also found that NMN supplementation can effectively prevent liver fibrosis, offering a promising therapeutic strategy to halt the progression of liver-related diseases.
NMN effectively prevents liver fibrosis by inhibiting activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) from secreting pro-fibrotic proteins and oxidoreductases, thereby significantly downregulating the expression of fibrosis-related genes and promoting the inactivation of HSCs. This mechanism greatly reduces the abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the liver, providing strong support for the prevention of liver fibrosis.