Cell Signaling by Vitamin E Nicotinate

Abstract

Vitamin E nicotinate is an ester of two vitamins, tocopherol (vitamin E) and niacin (vitamin B3), in which niacin is linked to the hydroxyl group of active vitamin E. This vitamin E ester can be chemically synthesized and has been used for supplementation. However, whether vitamin E nicotinate is formed in the biological system is unclear. In rats, vitamin E nicotinate was found in the heart and its level was determined to be 30‐times lower in heart failure. The diet used in these experiments contained vitamin E acetate and niacin separately, but not in the form of vitamin E nicotinate. Thus, vitamin E and niacin are esterified to form vitamin E nicotinate in the biological system. Since other forms of vitamin E were not found to be decreased, we propose that the vitamin E nicotinate structure elicits specific biologic functions, independently of serving as a source of active antioxidant. Consistent with this idea, we found that the treatment of cultured human cells with vitamin E nicotinate, but not vitamin E plus niacin, promoted the formation of anandamide within 10 min. Vitamin E nicotinate also activated MAP kinase signaling. These results suggest that vitamin E nicotinate can endogenously be formed in the biological system and the vitamin E nicotinate structure elicits cell signaling.Support or Funding InformationNIHThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.