Highlights

•Reduced blood flow with age is due to loss of endothelial NAD+-SIRT1 activity

•NAD+ and H2S control muscle angiogenesis and increase endurance in old mice

•The NAD precursor NMN mimics and augments exercise by inhibiting NICD-Notch

•Neovascularization is as important as mitochondria for rejuvenating muscle

Summary

A decline in capillary density and blood flow with age is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Understanding why this occurs is key to future gains in human health. NAD precursors reverse aspects of aging, in part, by activating sirtuin deacylases (SIRT1–SIRT7) that mediate the benefits of exercise and dietary restriction (DR). We show that SIRT1 in endothelial cells is a key mediator of pro-angiogenic signals secreted from myocytes. Treatment of mice with the NAD+ booster nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) improves blood flow and increases endurance in elderly mice by promoting SIRT1-dependent increases in capillary density, an effect augmented by exercise or increasing the levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a DR mimetic and regulator of endothelial NAD+ levels. These findings have implications for improving blood flow to organs and tissues, increasing human performance, and reestablishing a virtuous cycle of mobility in the elderly.

Full text access:

Abhirup Das, George X. Huang, Michael S. Bonkowski, Alban Longchamp, Catherine Li, Michael B. Schultz, Lynn-Jee Kim, Brenna Osborne, Sanket Joshi, Yuancheng Lu, Jose Humberto Treviño-Villarreal, Myung-Jin Kang, Tzong-tyng Hung, Brendan Lee, Eric O. Williams, Masaki Igarashi, James R. Mitchell, Lindsay E. Wu, Nigel Turner, Zolt Arany, Leonard Guarente, David A. Sinclair. Cell, 2018; 173 (1): 74 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.02.008

Keywords: aging, sirtuins, endurance, angiogenesis, NAD+, exercise, nicotinamide mononucleotide, impairment of an endothelial NAD -H 2 S signaling network is a reversible cause of vascular aging, hydrogen sulfide, skeletal muscle capillaries, ischemia, impairment of an endothelial NAD+-H2S signaling network, reversible cause of vascular aging.

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Analytical equipment. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.

Hep-2 signal activated cells. Image by Dr. Vassilis Doucas.

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Saffron plants, Zapponeta (Foggia), South of Italy. Photo by Dr. Grazia D'Onofrio.

Blood cells colored with fluorescence dye. Photo by Dr. Davide Barreca.

Substance library. Photo by Dr. Nikolay Tzvetkov.

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Tropical rainforest, Queensland, Australia. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.

Australian ocean scene. Photo by Dr. Rohan Davis.

Laboratory equipment. Photo by Atanas G. Atanasov.

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The Valley of Flowers, Himalaya, India. Photo by Dr. Rajeshwari Singh.

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Flower blossoms at gardens by the bay Singapore-photo by Dr. Hemanth Kumar Boyina.

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