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Leucine Enriched Essential Amino Acid Mixture to Reverse Muscle Loss in Cirrhosis

NCT03208868 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 32

Last updated 2025-10-10

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Loss of skeletal muscle mass or sarcopenia is the most common and potentially reversible complication in cirrhosis that increases morbidity and mortality before, during and after liver transplantation. No proven treatments exist for the prevention or reversal of sarcopenia in cirrhosis, primarily because the mechanisms responsible for this are unknown. Based on compelling preliminary studies and those of the co investigator, investigators hypothesize that the mechanism of reduced skeletal muscle mass in cirrhosis is due to a myostatin mediated impaired mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) signaling resulting in reduced protein synthesis and increased autophagy. Investigators further postulate that leucine, a direct stimulant of mTOR, will reverse the impaired mTOR phosphorylation in the skeletal muscle of cirrhotics. The consequent increase in protein synthesis reduced autophagy will result in an increase in skeletal muscle mass. Investigators will test these hypotheses by quantifying the response to acute and long term (3 month) administration of leucine enriched essential amino acid (EAA/LEU) compared with an isonitrogenous isocaloric non-essential balanced amino acid mixture (does not stimulate protein synthesis) in cirrhotic patients. Fractional protein synthesis rate (FSR) in skeletal muscle, responses of the molecular regulatory pathways of skeletal muscle protein synthesis, and autophagy flux will be quantified in the acute and long term protocols. Tracer studies using L-\[D5\]-phenylalanine (Phe) as a primed constant infusion (prime 2µmol.kg-1.hr-1; constant 0.05 µmol.kg-1.hr-1) with and L \[ring-D2\] tyrosine, forearm plethysmography, and sequential skeletal muscle biopsies (total of 3 per study subject) will be used to quantify these outcomes. Anthropometric, clinical and body composition measures will be additional outcome measures for the long term intervention. Expression of regulatory signaling proteins, myostatin, IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor) , phospho-Akt, phospho-AMPK (activated protein kinase), phospho-mTOR and phospho-p70s6k will be quantified by Western immunoblots. Autophagy flux will be measured by quantifying expression of the autophagosome proteins.

Conditions

  • Cirrhosis, Liver

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Leucine enriched essential amino acid (EEA/LEU)

Patient with cirrhosis will be randomized to either take a Leucine enriched essential amino acid or a balanced amino acid supplement.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Balanced amino acid supplement (BAA)

Patient with cirrhosis will be randomized to either take a Leucine enriched essential amino acid or a balanced amino acid supplement.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • The Cleveland Clinic

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
70 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2013-08-05
Primary Completion
2026-12-31
Completion
2026-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03208868 on ClinicalTrials.gov