Downfield 1H MRS can quantify age and hypoxia induced changes in brain NAD+

NAD+ is required for vital cellular processes such as redox regulation, DNA damage repair and cell signaling. There has been a growing interest in modifying NAD+ concentrations in the hope that it might increase longevity. However, there is no clear consensus on changes in NAD+ concentration due to healthy aging. Commonly used in vitro assays for NAD quantification are not suitable for longitudinal studies. We therefore implemented an in vivo downfield 1H MRS method to characterize NAD+ concentrations during aging in mice and showed that 1H MRS can detect hypoxia induced changes in brain NAD+ concentrations.