5 AMINO 1MQ

What it is

It is not a peptide; it is a small molecule that blocks an enzyme called NNMT. That enzyme is abundant in fat and in aged muscle, and inhibiting it changes how the cell manages its energy.

Inside your cells there is a molecule called NAD⁺ that is, essentially, the currency used to pay for energy. An enzyme called NNMT keeps spending part of that currency. When there is too much NNMT —which happens in accumulated fat and in muscle with age— less NAD⁺ is available. 5-Amino-1MQ blocks that enzyme.

What it is used for

• • Research on fat metabolism and adipocyte size
• • Intracellular NAD⁺ levels and cellular energy
• • Muscle function and age-related muscle loss
• • Studies on lipogenesis and cholesterol

How it is used

Lyophilized powder. It is reconstituted with bacteriostatic water, swirled without shaking, and stored between 2 and 8 °C. Unlike most of the catalog, this molecule was specifically designed to cross membranes, which also allows the oral route ^[1].

What has been observed

Results described in the published scientific literature. They are not directions for use or health recommendations.

• • In mice with diet-induced obesity, a potent NNMT inhibitor significantly reduced body weight and white fat mass, decreased adipocyte size and lowered total plasma cholesterol ^[1]
• • That effect was achieved without reducing food intake and without observable adverse effects, which points to a metabolic rather than an appetite mechanism ^[1]
• • In cultured adipocytes, NNMT inhibition increased intracellular NAD⁺ and suppressed lipogenesis ^[1]
• • In aged mice, NNMT inhibition mimicked and boosted the exercise-associated improvements in muscle function ^[2]
• • NNMT has been proposed as a therapeutic target in sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function ^[3]

How it works

Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition

5-Amino-1MQ is a selective, membrane-permeable inhibitor of NNMT, the enzyme that methylates nicotinamide and converts it into 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA) ^[1]. Blocking it lowers intracellular 1-MNA and raises NAD⁺ and S-adenosylmethionine.

Selectivity

Methylquinolinium analogs with primary amine substitution showed high selectivity: they do not inhibit other SAM-dependent methyltransferases or the enzymes of the NAD⁺ salvage pathway ^[1]. That selectivity is what makes the target viable.

From adipose tissue to muscle

NNMT expression in adipocytes is regulated by glucose availability ^[4], and its inhibition has been explored in obesity as well as in aged muscle function and peripheral artery disease ^[2][3].

State of the evidence

Preclinical. The available data come from cell and mouse models published in pharmacology and aging biology journals ^[1][2][3]. There are no human clinical trials with 5-Amino-1MQ: it is a target validated in preclinical research, not a proven treatment.

⚠️ Product intended exclusively for research and laboratory use. Not for human or veterinary consumption.

References

1. Neelakantan H, et al. Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice. Biochem Pharmacol, 2018. PubMed 29155147
2. Dimet-Wiley AL, et al. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase inhibition mimics and boosts exercise-mediated improvements in muscle function in aged mice. Sci Rep, 2024. PubMed 38969654
3. Liang R, et al. Identification of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase as a promising therapeutic target for sarcopenia. Aging Cell, 2024. PubMed 38838088
4. Ehebauer F, et al. Glucose availability regulates nicotinamide N-methyltransferase expression in adipocytes. Life Sci, 2020. PubMed 32112869