aicar

**AICAR** (5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide) is a small molecule analog of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and an intermediate in the de novo synthesis of inosine monophosphate. It acts as an activator of AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK), a key regulator of cellular energy homeostasis. By activating AMPK, AICAR stimulates catabolic pathways that generate ATP and inhibits anabolic pathways that consume ATP, thereby increasing metabolic activity in tissues such as muscle. This mechanism has made it a subject of research for potential therapeutic use in conditions like diabetes and cardiac ischemic injury, as well as for its performance-enhancing effects on muscle metabolism[1][4][6][8]. In research settings, AICAR is also used to mimic exercise-induced metabolic changes by promoting insulin-independent glucose uptake in skeletal muscle[8]. The compound has been investigated since the 1980s primarily for cardioprotection during surgery but remains investigational.

Other names

5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide1-(5'-phosphoribosyl)-5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide5-aminoimidazole ribotideaminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleotideacadesine 5'-monophosphate