5-Amino-1MQ
5-Amino-1MQ is a small-molecule inhibitor of the enzyme nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) that has reduced body weight and adiposity in diet-induced obese mice, but it has no published human clinical trial data and is not an approved drug.
This page is a research-orientation summary, not a dosing guide. For anything beyond general background, read the primary literature or talk to a qualified clinician — specifics like amount, frequency, or administration aren't something we publish here.
What it does & how it works
5-Amino-1MQ selectively and reversibly inhibits NNMT, a cytosolic enzyme that transfers a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to nicotinamide, producing 1-methylnicotinamide (1-MNA). Blocking NNMT raises intracellular NAD+ and SAM availability while lowering 1-MNA, which in cultured adipocytes has been shown to suppress lipogenic gene programs and shift cellular metabolism toward increased mitochondrial activity. NNMT expression is elevated in adipose tissue in diet-induced obesity, which is part of why the enzyme has drawn interest as a metabolic drug target.
Typical results seen in research
In high-fat-diet-fed obese mice, 5-Amino-1MQ treatment substantially reduced body weight, white adipose tissue mass, and individual adipocyte size, and lowered plasma total cholesterol, without suppressing food intake or producing observable toxicity in that model. A follow-up study found that combining an NNMT inhibitor with reduced caloric intake also altered the gut microbiome of obese mice. All of this evidence comes from rodent studies — there are no published human trials assessing its safety, effective dose, or weight-loss efficacy in people.
How it’s commonly used
5-Amino-1MQ exists only as a laboratory research chemical, not an approved medication, and in published studies has been administered to animals by injection. It has no established human clinical or clinic-based protocol, and any human use occurs entirely outside validated research.
- Biochemical Pharmacology · 2018 Selective and membrane-permeable small molecule inhibitors of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase reverse high fat diet-induced obesity in mice
- Scientific Reports · 2022 Reduced calorie diet combined with NNMT inhibition establishes a distinct microbiome in DIO mice
Curated from published literature for research orientation. Not an exhaustive review, and not a substitute for reading primary sources.