Safety, Tolerability and Effects of L-Arginine in Boys With Dystrophinopathy on Corticosteroids

NCT ID: NCT01388764

Last Updated: 2012-07-03

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 7 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2012-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2012-05-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to assess the safety, tolerability, and effects of L-Arginine on muscles in boys with dystrophinopathy on corticosteroids. Specifically, to see if L-arginine reduces muscle signal abnormalities on MRI done pre and post 30 days of L-arginine administration.

Detailed Description

Dystrophinopathy is a muscular dystrophy (includes Duchenne or Becker's Muscular Dystrophy) that can be a lethal muscle disorder resulting from defects in the gene for dystrophin, a structural protein required to maintain muscle integrity. Absence of functional dystrophin leaves the muscle membrane vulnerable to damage during contraction. This damage can be exacerbated by an inflammatory response leading to myofiber necrosis.

L-arginine is a widely available dietary supplement amino acid postulated to affect dystrophinopathy in several favorable ways: upregulation of utrophin, vasodilation in muscle via nitric oxide, enhanced synthesis of creatine, increase levels of growth hormone.

We hypothesize that administration of L-arginine may increase levels of creatine and growth hormone and in turn reduce the extent of myofiber damage in our patients with dystrophinopathy

Conditions

Dystrophinopathy; Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; Becker's Muscular Dystrophy

Keywords

L-arginine supplement study

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

L-arginine

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

L-arginine

Intervention Type: DRUG

Subjects will receive oral L-Arginine (0.3 grams/kg/day, divided 2 times per day, not to exceed 14 grams/day)

Interventions

L-arginine

Subjects will receive oral L-Arginine (0.3 grams/kg/day, divided 2 times per day, not to exceed 14 grams/day)

Intervention Type: DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Confirmation of diagnosis of dystrophinopathy, documented by clinical exam and dystrophin DNA mutation analysis
• Ambulatory male subjects between the ages of 7-11 years
• Stable dosage of corticosteroids for 3 months prior to entry (Screening/Baseline Day 0) and during treatment period
• Able to follow instructions and give assent
• Able to complete nonsedated MR

Exclusion Criteria

• Presence of metallic orthopedic hardware in the lower extremity that could affect MRI/MRS measurements
• Subjects not capable of cooperating during MR examination
• Known hypersensitivity to L-arginine
• Exposure to another investigational agent, investigational supplements, growth hormone within 3 months prior to entry (Screening/Baseline Day 0) or during treatment period
• Subjects must not be taking L-arginine for at least 4 weeks prior to entry (Day 0)
• Subjects who are non-ambulatory or with daytime ventilatory dependence

• Minimum Eligible Age: 7 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 11 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Massachusetts General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Namita Goyal

Physician Neurologist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Namita Goyal, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Massachusetts General Hospital

Locations

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

2011D001591

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id