Nutritional and Contractile Regulation of Muscle Growth

Summary

Muscle wasting, which involves the loss of muscle tissue, is common in many conditions, such as cancer, AIDS, trauma, kidney failure, bone fracture, and sepsis. It is also prevalent among the elderly and in people who experience periods of physical inactivity and weightlessness. Muscle wasting can lead to overall weakness, immobility, physical dependence, and a greater risk of death when exposed to infection, surgery, or trauma. There is a need to develop scientifically based treatments that prevent muscle wasting. As one step towards such a goal, this study will examine the physiological and cellular mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle growth.

Conditions

• Sarcopenia

Interventions

DRUG

Rapamycin

Single 16-mg oral dose

OTHER

Amino acid supplementation

Nutritional drink containing essential amino acids

OTHER

Low-intensity resistance exercise

Leg extension exercises on a Cybex leg extension machine

DRUG

Sodium nitroprusside

Variable rate for 3 hours

DEVICE

Blood flow restriction cuff

Blood flow restriction for 5 minutes after the second biopsy

OTHER

Low-intensity resistance exercise

Leg extension exercises on a Cybex leg extension machine

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

  collaborator NIH

• The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Blake Rasmussen, PhD · The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

85 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2009-04-30

Primary Completion

2015-03-31

Completion

2015-03-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations