Renal excretion of N'1-methylnicotinamide in the rat

The renal excretion of N'1-methylnicotinamide (NMN) was studied in the rat. Renal clearance experiments clearly demonstrated that: 1) NMN is secreted; 2)a tubularmaximum (Tm), 7 mumol/min per kg, could be reached; and 3)NMN secretion is inhibitedby a competitive inhibitor, mepiperphenidol. In free-flow micropuncture experiments, animals were infused with plasma concentrations of NMN ABOVE Tm; the TF/P NMNto TF/P inblin ratio for proximal and distal samples was 2.34 and 2.28, respectively, indicating that NMN is secreted in the proximal tubules and is not secreted orreabsorbed in the distal tubules. This finding was further confirmed by intratubularmicroinjections of ['14C]NMN into rats. In diuretic animals approxiamately 10%of the NMN injected into early proximal tubules was reabsorbed, but no reabsorption could be detected after distal injections. The nondiuretic animals showed no significant reabsorption of NMN. It was concluded that NMN transport is a carrier-mediated process and that reabsorption, if it occurs, plays only a minor role.