Triacetyluridine – The Ultimate Guide – Benefits, Dosage, & More

Medically reviewed by Jessica Pyhtila, PharmD, BCGP, BCPS.

Triacetyluridine is a convenient way of supplementing uridine with clinical evidence for its ameliorative effects on depression, bipolar disorder, subjective mood and well-being, neuroinflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Here we’ll examine its properties, mechanisms, effects, benefits, dosage, and supplement options.

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In a hurry? Here are the highlights:

• Triacetyluridine is a convenient, bioavailable vehicle for supplementing uridine.
• Triacetyluridine is also known as TAU, uridine triacetate, and PN401 (prescription drugs Vistogard and Xuriden)
• Triacetyluridine is more bioavailable than uridine monophosphate.
• Triacetyluridine per se has clinical evidence of having anti-inflammatory, antineurodegenerative, antidepressant, and cytoprotective effects.

What is Triacetyluridine?

Triacetyluridine is a prodrug for uridine, meaning it converts to uridine in the body. Specifically, it converts to uridine triphosphate, and “delivers 4- to 6-fold more uridine into systemic circulation than equimolar doses of uridine alone.”^​1​ Uridine is a nucleotide with many neurological properties.

Triacetyluridine is also referred to as TAU, uridine triacetate. The FDA-approved version is sometimes called PN401, which refers specifically to the prescription drugs Vistogard and Xuriden, which are used clinically for the emergency treatment of fluorouracil or capecitabine overdose or toxicity following cessation and for hereditary orotic aciduria. They received FDA approval in 2015^​1​.

Triacetyluridine Benefits

The current research that has specifically used triacetyluridine shows that it may:

• Alleviate symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder^​2,3​.
• Promote a greater sense of subjective mood and well-being^​2,3​.
• Help attenuate neurodegeneration in cases of Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s diseases^​4,5​.
• Ameliorate cases of pulmonary fibrosis^​6​.

This doesn’t take into account the benefits specifically seen from uridine monophosphate per se, which may include synaptogenesis, cognitive support, catecholamine synthesis, augmenting phospholipid metabolism, greater neuroplasticity, dopamine upregulation, improved mental fluidity, and improved memory, among other things^​7–13​.

Triacetyluridine Effects and Mechanisms – How Does It Work?

In instances of 5‐fluorouracil (5-FU) overdoses or toxicity, oral administration of uridine triacetate within 96 hours rapidly reverses acute cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity by competing with 5-FU metabolites^​14​.

In cases of hereditary orotic aciduria (uridine monophosphate synthase deficiency), patients’ symptoms are caused by a general uridine deficiency, so triacetyluridine is able to effectively make more uridine available^​14​. Uridine is also applicable for Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington’s Disease by preventing the loss of dopamine-producing neurons^​15​.

For the purposes of everyday supplementation by average nootropics users, triacetyluridine is simply an effective way of increasing systemic uridine, which has evidence of enhancing dopamine levels and cognition and alleviating symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder via modulating striatal D-2 dopamine receptors^{​2,7–13,16,17​}.

Triacetyluridine vs. Uridine Monophosphate

Triacetyluridine is essentially just a more potent, more bioavailable form of uridine than uridine monophosphate. It converts to uridine in the body. Either should produce the aforementioned effects, though the studies cited have used different forms.

See dosage information for both forms below.

Triacetyluridine Dosage

Triacetyluridine dosage for everyday nootropics users is typically 25mg 1-2 times daily.

Uridine monophosphate dosage for everyday nootropics users is typically 250mg 1-2 times daily. This higher dosage is again due to the comparatively lower bioavailability of uridine monophosphate compared to triacetyluridine.

No difference in systemic exposure was seen in fed vs. fasted states, meaning triacetyluridine can be taken with food or on an empty stomach^​1​.

Triacetyluridine Half-Life

The half-life of triacetyluridine itself is about 2 hours. Peak plasma concentration of uridine occurs between 2 and 3 hours after oral administration of triacetyluridine^​1​.

Triacetyluridine Side Effects

Triacetyluridine is generally well-tolerated. Uridine itself is actually found in human mother’s milk and beer^​18,19​, is included in most infant formulas, and is a natural substance in human cells^​20​. As such, side effects of uridine supplementation are rare at normal dosages.

A small percentage of people have reportedly experienced dose-limiting side effects such as vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea, but these were seen with extremely high doses of triacetyluridine used to treat fluorouracil toxicity^​14​. Those high dosages likely aren’t relevant to the type of everyday usage discussed here.

Triacetyluridine Stacks

Triacetyluridine should stack well with things like racetams and ALCAR. Many seasoned nootropics users are likely wanting to employ the famous “Mr. Happy Stack” – uridine, choline, and EPA/DHA (fish oil) – for improved mood, energy, motivation, and synaptogenesis and neurite growth. That’s my morning stack with a raw egg as the choline source.

Medical Disclaimer:  While I love diving into and extracting useful information from clinical research related to health, fitness, supplements, and more, I am in no way a medical expert. The content on this website is for informational purposes only; it is not professional medical advice, nor is it a substitute for professional medical advice. None of the statements on this website have been evaluated by the FDA. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Read my lengthier medical disclaimer here.