Scientific Reference

Aicar

Evidence profile: Controlled human evidence

AICAR (5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide), also known as acadesine, is a synthetic small molecule that functions as an AMP analog and activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). It is widely used in metabolic research to study energy homeostasis, glucose regulation, and mitochondrial function. Once inside cells, AICAR is phosphorylated to form ZMP (AICAR monophosphate), which mimics AMP and activates AMPK. This leads to downstream effects on energy metabolism, including increased fatty acid oxidation, improved glucose uptake, and inhibition of anabolic pathways.