NAD(P)H:quinone acceptor oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), a multifunctional antioxidant enzyme and exceptionally versatile cytoprotector, both protects the cell from carcinogenic oxidative damage and stabilizes the tumor suppressor p53 protein. At high glycolysis levels NQO1 stabilizes and protects p53 from ubiquitin-independent degradation, a process that is NADH dependent, and also elevates NAD+/NADH levels. NAD+ and NADH play a crucial role in cellular energy metabolism, and a dysregulated NAD+/NADH ratio is implicated in metabolic syndrome. In humans, NQO1 is expressed at high levels in adipocytes and its expression levels are positively correlated with adiposity, glucose tolerance, and liver dysfunction. Thus NQO1 may provide the basis for a n