NAMPT / Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for NAMPT

Plan paraffin-section NAMPT IHC using the catalog antibody’s documented workflow (datasheet PB10009). Compare glandular-cell staining with HPA tissue observations and account for secreted NAMPT when interpreting signal (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for NAMPT (IHC for NAMPT): expected localisation Predominantly cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody PB10009, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable NAMPT IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Predominantly cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody PB10009, controls and protocol steps. Open the full NAMPT IHC guide →

NAMPT Immunohistochemistry Experimental Design Guide

Expected localisation, validated protocols, controls and antibodies — the at-a-glance facts below, then the full design guide.

Must know before staining
Expected localisation Predominantly cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Cytoplasmic glandular-cell staining in colon and duodenum (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet PB10009)
Positive control ⓘ Adrenal gland+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Adipose tissue+4 more · see all
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
Fixation Keep fixation consistent across sections (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); assess its effects empirically.
Caveat Secreted NAMPT may complicate tissue staining interpretation (UniProt)
Regulation IL-1β stimulates endothelial secretion (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope No annotated isoforms; one 1–491 chain (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended NAMPT IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet PB10009) is accompanied by four published NAMPT IHC protocols (PMC7771344; PMC7771308; PMC7771238; PMC6411120).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded mouse intestine tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet PB10009)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet PB10009); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet PB10009); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet PB10009)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-NAMPT, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet PB10009)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet PB10009)
DetectionStreptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet PB10009)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultNAMPT-positive staining in glandular cells of adrenal gland (HPA tissue IHC: Medium). HPA tissue profile: General cytoplasmic expression, highest abundance in lymphoid tissues and gastrointestinal tract. Positivity in plasma. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval for the catalog antibody (datasheet PB10009). The published protocols specify different retrieval reagents (PMC7771344; PMC7771308; PMC7771238; PMC6411120).
Section 2

What Is the Expected NAMPT Staining Pattern?

In paraffin-section IHC, expect mainly cytoplasmic NAMPT staining, especially in lymphoid and gastrointestinal tissues; HPA also reports plasma positivity (HPA tissue IHC: Approved, pending external verification). Nuclear staining can be biologically plausible because NAMPT is reported in the nucleus and cytoplasm (UniProt P43490: subcellular location). NAMPT has no transmembrane segment, so a membrane-only pattern needs scrutiny (UniProt P43490: topology).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic staining in identifiable tissue cells, with stronger overall staining in lymphoid or gastrointestinal tissue.This fits the reported IHC profile, but intensity should be judged by cell population: HPA describes general cytoplasmic expression and the highest abundance in lymphoid tissues and gastrointestinal tract (HPA tissue IHC: profile).
Nuclear staining accompanies the cytoplasmic pattern, or staining appears confined to cell borders.Do not dismiss nuclear signal solely because the IHC profile is cytoplasmic: granular nuclear NAMPT is reported under non-inflammatory conditions (UniProt P43490: subcellular location). An isolated border pattern needs review because NAMPT has no transmembrane segment (UniProt P43490: topology).
Strong signal appears in adipocytes, cardiomyocytes or skeletal myocytes while nearby expected cells are unstained.These cell populations were reported as not detected in HPA tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC: adipocytes, cardiomyocytes, skeletal myocytes). Check morphology and controls for cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity (general IHC practice); staining alone cannot identify which caused the signal.
Color is diffuse across tissue, plasma-rich spaces or the negative control, without clear cellular boundaries.Plasma positivity is reported and NAMPT can be secreted (HPA tissue IHC: profile; UniProt P43490: subcellular location). Diffuse color therefore cannot establish cellular localisation; assess the negative control and detection background (general IHC practice).
No staining is visible in a selected positive-control tissue or its expected cell population.First confirm the chosen population: HPA reports medium glandular-cell staining in appendix and colon, while its overall IHC assessment remains pending external verification (HPA tissue IHC: positive tissues, reliability). A blank control calls for a workflow check (general IHC practice).
💡Expected NAMPT appearanceCall an IHC result consistent when identifiable cells show mainly cytoplasmic staining, with context-dependent intensity and possible nuclear signal (HPA tissue IHC: profile; UniProt P43490: subcellular location); isolated border color or staining in HPA-not-detected cell populations warrants control review (UniProt P43490: topology; HPA tissue IHC: negative tissues).
How each factor affects the staining
Tissue and cell selectionHPA reports its highest overall abundance in lymphoid tissues and gastrointestinal tract, but the listed glandular cells in appendix and colon are medium (HPA tissue IHC: profile, positive tissues). Score the named cell population rather than assigning one intensity to every cell.
Secreted proteinNAMPT is also reported as secreted, and HPA notes plasma positivity and potentially complex RNA–protein agreement for secreted variants (UniProt P43490: subcellular location; HPA tissue IHC: profile, reliability). Extracellular color needs cellular context before interpretation.
Compartment and topologyUniProt lists nucleus and cytoplasm and describes predominantly granular nuclear staining under non-inflammatory conditions; it lists no transmembrane segment (UniProt P43490: subcellular location, topology). Treat nuclear signal as plausible and a membrane-only result as a reason to inspect controls.
Evidence strengthThe supplied antibodies HPA047776 and CAB034349 are IHC Approved; the supplied record does not mark either IHC Enhanced (HPA antibodies: IHC status). HPA calls tissue IHC Approved while noting pending external verification (HPA tissue IHC: reliability).
IF/ICC Q&A: Should the IHC pattern match IF/ICC?No direct match is established: HPA reports nuclear speckles as the main ICC-IF location and cell junctions as an additional location, whereas its tissue IHC profile is generally cytoplasmic (HPA subcellular: approved locations; HPA tissue IHC: profile). Compare each result within its assay.
Tissue-level discrepancyUniProt reports NAMPT expression in muscle and heart, while HPA reports no detected staining in skeletal myocytes and cardiomyocytes (UniProt P43490: tissue specificity; HPA tissue IHC: negative tissues). Record the assayed cell type and method when comparing these observations.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Expected cytoplasmic staining is absent from an appendix or colon control.The selected cells may be misidentified, or the IHC workflow may have failed (general IHC practice); HPA reports medium staining specifically in glandular cells there (HPA tissue IHC: positive tissues).Locate glandular cells on the section, then review the IHC antibody, antigen retrieval and detection controls using the validated workflow (general IHC practice).
The entire section has weak or uneven color.Section handling or uneven reagent coverage can affect an IHC run (general IHC practice). This payload provides no NAMPT-specific fixation or retrieval sensitivity.Inspect section integrity and reagent coverage; compare with a concurrently processed control and the selected antibody's validated IHC conditions (general IHC practice).
Brown color appears in the negative control as well as the NAMPT slide.Residual endogenous enzyme activity or nonspecific detection can produce color in chromogenic IHC (general IHC practice).Review the negative control, enzyme-blocking and detection steps; interpret the NAMPT slide only after the background source is resolved (general IHC practice).
Signal appears only along cell borders, with no convincing cytoplasmic staining.A border-only pattern does not fit HPA's general cytoplasmic tissue profile or UniProt's lack of a transmembrane segment (HPA tissue IHC: profile; UniProt P43490: topology).Check morphology, adjacent cells and negative controls; repeat with an IHC Approved antibody if needed (general IHC practice; HPA antibodies: IHC status).
Adipocytes or myocytes stain strongly, contrary to the selected HPA reference.HPA reports no detection in adipocytes, cardiomyocytes or skeletal myocytes (HPA tissue IHC: negative tissues). Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity remains possible (general IHC practice).Confirm cell identity, inspect the negative control and compare an independently validated IHC antibody before assigning the signal to NAMPT (general IHC practice; HPA antibodies: IHC status).
Plasma-rich spaces stain, but individual positive cells are hard to identify.HPA reports plasma positivity and UniProt lists a secreted form of NAMPT (HPA tissue IHC: profile; UniProt P43490: subcellular location).Score identifiable cells separately from extracellular color; use morphology and a negative control to judge whether a cellular staining pattern is present (general IHC practice).

Sample controls for NAMPT IHC & IF

🧪Run colon first and score glandular cells for NAMPT staining (HPA: colon glandular cells Medium). Use heart muscle cardiomyocytes as the negative tissue (HPA: heart muscle cardiomyocytes Not detected); on the colon slide, count non-glandular cells as internal negatives only if they are visibly unstained, because the supplied HPA row assigns a level only to glandular cells (HPA: colon glandular cells Medium).
Positive control tissue: Adrenal gland (Glandular cells, HPA Medium)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show NAMPT in A-549, HEK293, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Nuclear speckles (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control, a rabbit IgG isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s clonality, and a matched NAMPT-knockout specimen as a biological negative (selected-SKU caption: rabbit primary antibody; standard IHC controls). Quench endogenous peroxidase and check for endogenous biotin when using the caption’s biotin-based DAB detection on tissue sections (selected-SKU caption: biotinylated secondary, SABC and DAB; standard chromogenic IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected-SKU paraffin-section caption does not state its fixative (selected-SKU caption: fixative not stated). Heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 was used for mouse intestine, but the supplied evidence does not establish that retrieval as necessary for colon (selected-SKU caption: mouse intestine, heat retrieval in EDTA pH 8.0; HPA: colon glandular cells Medium). Relative ease of frozen-section IF is unreported; for chromogenic IHC, assess intestinal endogenous biotin if using the caption’s SABC detection, since it can produce background signal (selected-SKU caption: SABC detection; standard IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for NAMPT

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — At least one protein variant secreted, tissue location of RNA and protein might differ and correlation is complex. Pending external verification.). Rows are taken directly from the HPA tissue chart — click any row's HPA link to view the source.

Positive expression · recommended positive controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adrenal gland Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Appendix Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Breast Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cervix Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Colon Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Caudate Glial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebellum Cells in granular layer Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Heart muscle Cardiomyocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Hippocampus Glial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced NAMPT IHC Tips

Troubleshoot NAMPT staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, tissue context, controls and scoring before interpreting chromogenic signal.

What should I change when NAMPT staining is weak after antigen retrieval?
Start with heat mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 (datasheet PB10009). The catalog antibody detected NAMPT in a paraffin section of mouse intestine using that retrieval condition, followed by 1 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C (caption PB10009). Check that sections stayed covered by retrieval buffer and that heating and cooling were consistent across the run (standard IHC practice). Compare an identically processed positive control before extending heating, since excessive retrieval can damage tissue and increase diffuse staining (standard IHC practice). If signal remains weak, test an alternative retrieval buffer on adjacent sections as a fallback, while retaining EDTA pH 8.0 as the reference condition (standard IHC practice; datasheet PB10009).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven NAMPT staining in paraffin sections?
NAMPT specific fixation sensitivity is unknown because the selected tissue IHC caption does not state a fixative (caption PB10009). Record the fixative, fixation duration and tissue thickness for every block, then compare sections processed under the same conditions (standard IHC practice). Underfixation can compromise morphology, while prolonged crosslinking can mask epitopes in paraffin IHC generally; neither effect has been established specifically for NAMPT here (standard IHC practice; caption PB10009). Keep retrieval at EDTA pH 8.0 while comparing blocks, so a retrieval change does not obscure a processing difference (datasheet PB10009; standard IHC practice). Include a known staining control in each run and assess morphology alongside signal (standard IHC practice).
How should I assess NAMPT staining in nuclei, cytoplasm and extracellular spaces?
Score nuclear, cytoplasmic and extracellular staining separately, because NAMPT is annotated in the nucleus, cytoplasm and secreted compartment (UniProt P43490 subcellular). A granular nuclear pattern is described under noninflammatory conditions, while tissue IHC shows general cytoplasmic expression and positivity in plasma (UniProt P43490 subcellular; HPA tissue IHC profile). Nuclear speckles are an approved IF location, so a finely punctate nuclear signal warrants review at higher magnification without treating every DAB punctum as a speckle (HPA subcellular; standard IHC practice). Compare cellular staining with adjacent negative control sections and inspect extracellular signal for diffuse chromogen deposit (standard IHC practice). Report the compartment and cell type alongside intensity rather than collapsing all staining into one score (standard IHC practice).
Can an isoform or modified epitope explain a discordant NAMPT IHC pattern?
The supplied record lists 0 annotated isoforms and a single chain spanning residues 1–491, so an isoform explanation is unsupported by this record (UniProt P43490 isoforms; UniProt P43490 processing). NAMPT has no annotated transmembrane segment or signal peptide, but its exact antibody epitope is not supplied (UniProt P43490 topology; UniProt P43490 processing; caption PB10009). Reported modifications include acetylation at residue 1 and phosphorylation at residues 188 and 472; their effect on this antibody's staining is unknown (UniProt P43490 modified residues; caption PB10009). If localisation differs between runs, compare adjacent sections under the same retrieval and detection conditions before assigning an epitope mechanism (standard IHC practice). Confirm the antibody's documented epitope before making claims about modification dependent recognition (standard IHC practice).
How can I investigate NAMPT localisation with multiplex immunofluorescence?
Use IF on a separate, validated workflow and pair NAMPT with a marker for the cell type being assessed, such as a macrophage marker when examining lung macrophages (HPA tissue IHC low expression; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after examining an unstained section, placing the weaker channel away from the tissue's strongest autofluorescence and including single stain controls (standard IF practice). Because NAMPT is annotated in nuclei and cytoplasm with no transmembrane segment, assess permeabilisation for access to intracellular epitopes; the antibody's exact epitope is unknown (UniProt P43490 subcellular; UniProt P43490 topology; caption PB10009). HPA reports approved nuclear speckles and additional cell junction localisation in ICC/IF, which can guide image review but does not validate this catalog antibody for IF (HPA subcellular; caption PB10009). Keep IF localisation findings distinct from DAB scores in paraffin IHC (standard IHC/IF practice).
How do I distinguish NAMPT signal from chromogenic IHC background?
Review a no primary control and a matched tissue section before attributing diffuse brown signal to NAMPT (standard IHC practice). The selected method used 10% goat serum, a biotinylated secondary antibody, a streptavidin biotin complex and DAB; these are method details for PB10009, not evidence that all brown staining is specific (caption PB10009). Apply an appropriate endogenous peroxidase block and inspect a detection only control for residual enzyme or reagent background (standard IHC practice). With biotin based detection, evaluate endogenous biotin if staining follows tissue structures unexpectedly (caption PB10009; standard IHC practice). Compare cellular staining with the control section and shorten chromogen development if background rises across the whole slide (standard IHC practice).
How should I quantify NAMPT in paraffin IHC sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Predefine the cell population and compartment, then score NAMPT using percent positive cells and intensity, or an H score, on comparable fields (standard IHC practice). Keep nuclear and cytoplasmic scores separate because both localisations are reported, and record extracellular staining separately from cell positivity (UniProt P43490 subcellular; HPA tissue IHC profile; standard IHC practice). For spatial measurements, report positive cells per mm² of viable tissue or of the specified compartment and normalise to the corresponding total cell count or area (standard IHC practice). Exclude folds, edges and necrotic regions by a rule set before scoring (standard IHC practice). Use the same retrieval, detection exposure and positivity threshold across compared sections, with control tissue in each batch (datasheet PB10009; standard IHC practice).
When is an apparent NAMPT positive cell or region likely to be artefact?
Interpret staining against cell identity and compartment: HPA reports general cytoplasmic expression with greatest abundance in lymphoid tissues and the gastrointestinal tract, while UniProt also annotates nuclear and secreted NAMPT (HPA tissue IHC profile; UniProt P43490 subcellular). HPA lists lung macrophages as low and adipocytes as not detected, so those cells need separate evaluation against controls rather than an assumed uniform tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC). Suspect artefact when staining concentrates at section edges, folds or necrosis, or appears equally in a no primary control (standard IHC practice). Check a detection only control for endogenous peroxidase signal before calling DAB positive (standard IHC practice). Concordant cell associated staining in a processed positive control and the test section supports interpretation, but does not alone establish specificity (standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best NAMPT / Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase IHC Antibodies

PB10009 has paraffin-section IHC images from human mammary cancer and mouse and rat intestine (IHC image captions), plus an IF/ICC image from A549 cells (IF image caption).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of Visfatin using anti-Visfatin antibody (PB10009). Visfatin was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of mouse intestine tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH 8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 1 μg/ml rabbit anti-Visfatin Antibody (PB10009) overnight at 4°C. Biotinylated goat anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using Strepavidin-Biotin-Complex (SABC) (Catalog # SA1022) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-Visfatin/NAMPT Antibody ®
Cat # PB10009

PB10009 is listed for IHC and IF/ICC in human, mouse and rat (catalog applications; catalog reactivity). Its IHC captions show human mammary cancer and mouse and rat intestine paraffin sections; its IF caption shows A549 cells (IHC and IF image captions).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose PB10009: its own images document staining in paraffin sections, and the fixative is unreported (IHC image captions). For IF/ICC, the same SKU is listed for both applications and has an A549-cell IF image (catalog applications; IF image caption). For work across species, PB10009 lists human, mouse and rat reactivity and has a paraffin-section IHC image for each; clonality is unreported (catalog reactivity; IHC image captions; catalog clone field).

Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P43490 (NAMPT_HUMAN, Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. NAMPT tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. NAMPT subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nuclear speckles. In addition localized to the cell junctions..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. NAMPT antibody validation summary (3 antibodies).
  5. Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyl Transferase a Reliable Marker of Progression in Cervical Dysplasia. Anticancer research 2017 — PMC7771344.
  6. Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyl Transferase Is Increased in Osteosarcomas and Chondrosarcomas Compared to Benign Bone and Cartilage. Anticancer research 2019 — PMC7771308.
  7. Cystathione β-Synthase Is Increased in Thyroid Malignancies. Anticancer research 2018 — PMC7771238.
  8. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase expression and clinical outcome of resected stage I/II pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. PloS one 2019 — PMC6411120.
  9. PubMed PMID:8289818 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:12853948 — UniProt-cited evidence.