Nicotinamide (vitamin B3), a water-soluble vitamin, is a weak PARP inhibitor and a biochemical precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). It has been shown to improve energy status in ischemic tissues,3 exhibit antioxidant properties and metabolic improvements4,5 and inhibit apoptosis.6 This makes it an attractive potential agent for the treatment of IDDM. Nicotinamide has no serious side effects, and plays a beneficial role in delaying the onset of IDDM in NOD mice7 and has shown promising results in humans.8 Treatment of prediabetic with nicotinamide improves diabetic metabolic alterations, most likely by counteracting beta-cell dysfunction and loss associated with oxidative stress.9 It is also not known whether the effects of
