AICAR

AICAR is the ribonucleoside acadesine, an aminoimidazole carboxamide compound used in studies of AMPK signaling.

Identity

Molecular formula

C₉H₁₄N₄O₅

Average molecular weight

258.23 g/mol

Monoisotopic mass (calculated)

258.0964 Da

CAS number

2627-69-2

PubChem CID

17513

Other names

Acadesine · AICA-riboside

This profile describes unphosphorylated acadesine. AICAR can also name the distinct phosphorylated nucleotide ZMP. A peptide sequence and UniProt entry do not apply; an intact SMILES string was not verified.

Identity data from: PubChem CID 17513

Research overview

AICAR, also called acadesine or AICA-riboside, is a ribonucleoside with an aminoimidazole carboxamide group. This identity must be distinguished from the phosphorylated nucleotide that is also sometimes abbreviated AICAR. In experimental literature, the ribonucleoside appears as a reagent for examining AMP-activated protein kinase, abbreviated AMPK. A systematic review separates observations associated with this kinase from observations that persisted in systems with AMPK downregulation or knockout. Its central interpretive point is that the presence of an AICAR-associated cellular response does not, by itself, establish an AMPK-dependent mechanism [1].

A cell-culture study examined this problem from another direction by comparing medium formulations. Investigators used cultured skeletal-muscle and cancer cells and asked whether extracellular nucleosides changed the AMPK readout associated with AICAR. Media containing nucleosides, as well as experiments adding adenosine or its related nucleoside, showed a different kinase response from nucleoside-free conditions. These observations identify medium composition and nucleoside transport as important experimental variables. They concern particular cultured-cell conditions rather than a universal property of every biological system. Taken together, the review and the medium-comparison study show why compound identity, cellular model and background nucleosides need to be recorded when interpreting AMPK experiments [2].

Laboratory storage and handling

Keep the sealed vial cold, dry and protected from light, following the conditions in the documentation supplied with the lot. Let the vial reach room temperature before opening to limit moisture condensation. Avoid repeated freezing and thawing of laboratory stocks. Record the lot identifier and the material form with each experiment, and use standard laboratory protective equipment.

Questions about AICAR

References

1. AICAr, a Widely Used AMPK Activator with Important AMPK-Independent Effects: A Systematic Review. Cells 2021. PMID 34064363
2. Nucleosides block AICAR-stimulated activation of AMPK in skeletal muscle and cancer cells. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2018. PMID 30230919

Identity data checked on 2026-10-03. Literature summaries describe published research models and are not specifications of any product lot.