Buy AICAR Research Nucleotide

AICAR (CAS 2627-69-2), formally designated 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-beta-D-ribofuranoside and also known as Acadesine, is a cell-permeable nucleoside analog with the molecular formula C9H14N4O5 and a molecular weight of 258.23 g/mol. Unlike the peptide compounds in this catalog, AICAR is a purine biosynthesis intermediate whose mechanism of action centers on its intracellular phosphorylation to ZMP (AICA ribotide), which acts as an allosteric activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Acadesine is produced via chemical synthesis and is widely used as a pharmacological tool compound in metabolic and cellular energy sensing research.

AICAR has been extensively investigated in preclinical metabolic research as one of the most frequently referenced AMPK activators. Its conversion to ZMP has been characterized in published studies as mimicking the intracellular accumulation of AMP, with downstream AMPK activation and phosphorylation cascades documented in intact cell preparations examining cellular energy homeostasis-related signaling. In vitro studies in rat hepatocyte preparations have examined AICAR-mediated AMPK activation kinetics and downstream metabolic signaling, characterizing intracellular ZMP accumulation as the primary basis of AMPK engagement in intact cells and documenting downstream inhibition of fatty acid and sterol synthesis, and antagonism of lipolysis in adipocytes, as readouts of pharmacological AMPK activation [1]. In vivo rodent studies in rat skeletal muscle tissue have investigated AICAR-mediated AMPK activation, with published research documenting increases in mitochondrial enzyme expression as markers of pharmacological AMPK engagement and characterizing downstream mitochondrial biogenesis-related adaptations under controlled experimental conditions [2], making Acadesine a key reference compound in AMPK activation research across metabolic and cellular energy sensing models.

AICAR is produced to research-grade standards and independently verified by third-party HPLC and MS-UPLC analysis before dispatch. Vials are vacuum sealed and stored in a temperature controlled, monitored cold storage system. Certificates of Analysis are available to view and download directly on the product page.

Sold strictly for in vitro research purposes only. Not for human consumption. Intended for use by qualified researchers in laboratory settings only.

Scientific Review

Dr. Martina Rossi, PhD

Scientific Contributor and Reviewer

Reviewed for scientific accuracy, 14 June 2026

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