Fresh Research Highlights the Benefits of NMN Supplements in Minimizing the Harmful Effects of Chemotherapy
Doxorubicin is a standard chemotherapeutic agent frequently used to manage blood cancer, Burkitt’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and ovarian cancer. Notwithstanding its efficacy, severe complications such as impaired heart function and loss of physical agility often accompany treatment. Currently, there's no pharmaceutical intervention to mitigate these side effects, necessitating ongoing research for viable solutions.
A groundbreaking study from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California, authored by Grozio et al. and published in Cells in 2022, indicates that NMN supplementation could potentially improve survival rates and overall physical health in mice undergoing doxorubicin treatment. This breakthrough offers hope that NMN might mitigate the damaging side effects of doxorubicin.
How NMN Enhances Survival, Protects Heart Function, and Boosts Physical Performance Following Chemotherapy
Researchers from the Buck Institute investigated whether the toxicity of doxorubicin, particularly its harmful impact on the heart, influences survival rates in mice, and whether NMN might mitigate these effects. In their short-term study, they administered NMN (180 mg/kg/day) to mice for ten days surrounding a high-dose doxorubicin treatment. The results were promising; NMN treatment improved survival rates from 48% to 80%, demonstrating its potential in enhancing survival following doxorubicin treatment.
To investigate doxorubicin's detrimental effects on the heart, the researchers evaluated the heart's ejection fraction – the volume of blood pumped out by the heart. They observed a significant decrease in ejection fraction following doxorubicin treatment, which was partially reversed by NMN administration, indicating its potential in combating doxorubicin-induced heart damage.
The team also explored the long-term effects of doxorubicin treatment by administering a lower dosage over five days, accompanied by NMN supplementation (500 mg/kg/day) in the mice's drinking water. They found that NMN supplementation significantly improved survival rates, suggesting its efficacy against chronic doxorubicin exposure.
Finally, the researchers evaluated physical abilities, including maximum distance run, running time, and speed on a treadmill, following chronic doxorubicin treatment. Although doxorubicin negatively impacted these parameters, NMN supplementation restored them to levels found in healthy mice. This indicates NMN's potential in regaining physical function following extended doxorubicin treatment.
"Our findings clearly show that NMN mitigates doxorubicin-induced mortality and cardiotoxicity in both acute and chronic regimens," said Grozio and colleagues. "Moreover, we've proven for the first time that oral NMN administration can prevent the decline in physical performance commonly induced by chemotherapy."
The Potential of NMN in Preserving Cardiac and Physical Function After Various Chemotherapy Treatments
This study presents the first evidence of NMN's effectiveness against doxorubicin-induced physical impairments. Future research should explore NMN's effectiveness in counteracting the side effects of other chemotherapeutic drugs, to understand its full therapeutic potential against chemotherapy treatments.
Conclusion
This groundbreaking research sheds new light on the potential of NMN supplements in mitigating the detrimental side effects associated with chemotherapy, specifically doxorubicin treatment. By enhancing survival rates, safeguarding heart function, and restoring physical performance, NMN demonstrates its promise as a complementary therapy in cancer treatment.
This discovery paves the way for more extensive research on NMN's broader applications across various chemotherapeutic drugs. As we endeavor to make chemotherapy treatments safer and more tolerable, NMN supplementation could become a valuable tool in improving the health outcomes and quality of life for many patients undergoing cancer treatment.