What is Indolepropionamide?
IPAM is a tryptophan-derived indole that chemists describe as a “reverse melatonin.” The core indole ring is identical to melatonin’s, but instead of a 2-carbon N-acetyl side chain and a 5-methoxy group, IPAM carries a 3-carbon propionamide and no methoxy.
This gives it two key properties:
High lipid permeability, so it crosses cell membranes and the blood–brain barrier with ease.
Markedly longer tissue persistence (~6 h in rat brain versus <1 h for melatonin).
Main Mechanism:
IPAM lodges at mitochondrial Complex I, streamlines electron flow and prevents “leakage” that ordinarily forms superoxide and downstream reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because it can cycle between redox states without turning into a pro-oxidant, one IPAM molecule can neutralise many radicals—hence the label catalytic antioxidant.
It very likely does more we are not aware of.
What The Studies Say:
The only lifespan study published so far (rotifers, 2010) reported a stagge…
The question is how it changes lifespan. We can figure out the minutia later.
Thanks for putting a link in to the post. The reason I focus on complex 1 is that it is the ROS from complex 1 that cause most of the changes to mtDNA that result in aging. In the body when cells need to not age (oocyte, stem cells) complex 1 is inhibited and the cells take in exogenous pyruvate to maintain the NAD+ levels.
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Check out the post and please comment your thoughts I’d love to hear them.