Effect of Circadian Rhythm on Brain NAD Measured by Phosphorus Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at 7 Tesla

The Discovery of the circadian clock first established a genetic basis for behavior, and our understanding of circadian rhythm (CIR) has since expanded to provide molecular insights into physiology and disease. Yet the challenge remains to translate these insights regarding the role of the CIR in cells and tissues into the clinic. Many mechanistic pre-clinical experiments have shown that the CIR is directly linked with the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) levels and the NAD redox ratio and that the NAD oscillation amplitude is diminished during aging and in the model of neurological diseases. Human ex-vivo data have also shown that NAD oscillates over time in human red blood cells. While mounting evidence in model organisms illustrate the central role of brain NAD for maintaining energy homeostasis and the CIR, similar data in human are sparse. To date, no study has been reported in human on the effect of the CIR on brain NAD levels. NAD is a vital cofactor involved in brain bioenergetics for metabolism and Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP) production, the energy currency of the brain. NAD exists in an oxidized (NAD+) or reduced (NADH) form, with NAD+/NADH (the redox ratio) being an important determinant of cytosolic and mitochondrial metabolic homeostasis. Additionally, NAD+ is a key substrate for multiple NAD+-dependent enzymes and is consumed by at least four class of enzymes involved in genomic stability, mitochondrial homeostasis, adaptive stress responses, and cell survival, including Sirtuins. Modulation of subcellular NAD+ synthesis can regulate the timing of signaling pathways. Mammalian circadian rhythms are coordinated with metabolic activity through controlled expression of Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT). Regulation of NAMPT, in turn, results in oscillating NAD+ levels. The rhythmic oscillation of NAD+ serves as a feedback 'timer' by modulating the activities of NAD+-dependent enzymes, including sirtuins, helping to establish the peri