What is 5-Amino-1MQ?
5-Amino-1MQ is short for 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium. It was developed by researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch as one of a series of compounds designed to block NNMT, short for nicotinamide N-methyltransferase. NNMT is an enzyme found mainly in the liver and in fat tissue. Its job is to attach a methyl group to nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3.
Interest in NNMT grew after a 2014 mouse study reported that lowering NNMT in fat and liver tissue protected mice from weight gain on a high-fat diet. Researchers had also found higher NNMT levels in fat tissue from obese mice and in some studies of people with obesity or type 2 diabetes. 5-Amino-1MQ was made to test whether blocking the enzyme with a drug would have similar effects.
How does 5-Amino-1MQ work?
When NNMT methylates nicotinamide, it uses up two things cells need. Nicotinamide is a building block for NAD+, a molecule central to energy metabolism. The methyl group comes from SAM, the body's main methyl donor. In fat cells grown in the lab, blocking NNMT with 5-Amino-1MQ raised levels of NAD+ and SAM and reduced the making of new fat.
Researchers think these changes shift fat cells toward using more energy and storing less. Because NAD+ is used by enzymes called sirtuins, the compound is sometimes linked online to sirtuins or 'longevity genes'. That link is a theory. It has not been shown that 5-Amino-1MQ changes sirtuin activity in people, or that higher NAD+ in fat cells leads to health benefits in humans.
What has research looked at?
- Obesity in mice
- In a 2018 study, mice made obese on a high-fat diet and treated with 5-Amino-1MQ had lower body weight, less white fat and smaller fat cells than untreated mice. Their food intake did not change.
- Cholesterol and blood sugar
- The same mouse research reported lower total cholesterol in the blood. Effects on blood sugar have had less study, and there are no human data.
- Aging muscle
- In aged mice, researchers reported that an NNMT inhibitor increased the activity of muscle stem cells and improved muscle repair after injury.
- Combined with diet or exercise
- Follow-up mouse studies tested NNMT inhibition together with a lower-calorie diet or exercise. These are early findings in animals.
- Cancer research
- NNMT is overactive in some cancers, and researchers study NNMT inhibitors in cancer cells and animal models. There is no evidence that 5-Amino-1MQ treats cancer in people.
The evidence comes mainly from a small number of research groups working with cells and mice. That is an early stage of research. Results in mice often do not carry over to people, and no controlled human trials of 5-Amino-1MQ have been published.
Is 5-Amino-1MQ a peptide?
No. 5-Amino-1MQ is a small molecule built on a quinoline ring, not a chain of amino acids. It is often sold and discussed alongside peptides, which is why it appears in this library. Because it is not a peptide, the digestive enzymes that break down peptides do not act on it in the same way. How well it is absorbed and how long it lasts in people has not been published.
Side effects and cautions
There are no human clinical trials, so its side effects in people are not known. Mouse studies were short and focused on effects, not formal safety testing. Effects people describe online, such as trouble sleeping, are anecdotal. Anyone with health questions should talk to a qualified clinician.
- Enzyme roles
- NNMT helps the liver handle nicotinamide and plays a part in the balance of methyl groups. What blocking it for long periods does in people is unknown.
- Medicines and conditions
- Interactions with other drugs and effects in people with liver or kidney disease have not been studied.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- There are no safety data, so this is an unknown.
- Product content
- Compounds sold outside medical settings can differ from their labels in content or purity.
Further reading
This page summarizes the research in plain words. To read the studies yourself:
- Published studies on 5-Amino-1MQ PubMed, US National Library of Medicine
