Enteral L Citrulline Supplementation in Preterm Infants - Safety, Efficacy and Dosing
NCT ID: NCT03649932
Last Updated: 2021-10-25
Study Results
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View full resultsBasic Information
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COMPLETED
PHASE1
42 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2018-09-25
2021-06-21
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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Nitric Oxide: Nitric Oxide (NO) is a potent pulmonary vasodilator. Endothelial Nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mediates production of NO from L-Arginine. L-citrulline is a precursor for L-arginine. L-Arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide (NO). In infants with BPD\_PH, there are decreased levels of L-arginine \& L-citrulline with decreased production of NO (measured by urinary nitrates \& nitrites) leading to increased PVR. Several studies have shown the benefit of oral L-citrulline supplementation in increasing serum citrulline levels, increasing NO production and reducing pulmonary hypertension. Oral L-arginine was not effective in increasing NO production in previous studies and it was due to increased break down of oral L-arginine by intestinal arginases.
Source of L-arginine in preterm infants: Routinely, extremely premature infants receive nutrition as total parental nutrition (TPN i.e. infants get infusion of protein, fat and carbohydrate via central venous line) that contains L-arginine (approximately 1mg/1mL) to metabolize ammonia via urea cycle. PIs receive adequate amount of intra venous arginine from TPN. Routinely, PIs are started with small volumes of enteral feeds which are increased slowly overtime. TPN is slowly decreased as enteral feeds are increasing. As the TPN is going down, intra venous L-arginine intake also drops down and ultimately when the PI are off TPN, they don't get any IV supplemental L-arginine.
Why oral citrulline: Enteral feeds (formula as well as breast milk) is poor source of arginine. Once PIs are on full enteral feed, an enteral feed is the only source of arginine. Interestingly, 40% of enteral arginine gets metabolized by arginase enzyme present in intestine. We speculate that plasma levels of arginine drop once TPN is discontinued and infants are on full feeds. Oral L-arginine has poor bio-availability that is why oral L-arginine supplementation does not increase blood levels of arginine. Since oral citrulline has high bioavailability, the best way to increase serum arginine levels is by oral citrulline supplementation. Oral supplementation of L-citrulline in preterm infants once they are off TPN will likely to increase arginine levels and NO production.
Safety of oral citrulline: L-citrulline has been safely used for decades in patients with urea cycle defects. It has been used in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease and in infants undergoing cardiac surgery. No side effects were reported in these studies. In a study in newborn rats exposed to hyperoxia, L-citrulline caused a marked increase in arginase-2 expression in the lungs and this could have an impact on lung development and remodeling. However, this is only a theoretical risk.
Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
NONE
Study Groups
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L-citrulline 100 mg/kg/day
50 mg/kg given two times a day (100 mg/kg/day) for total 7 days.
Enteral L-citrulline
L-Citrulline as 10 % solution (100 mg/ml) will be provided to the bedside nurse by the Investigational Pediatric Pharmacy. The drug will be given via gavage feeding by bolus infusions followed by a 0.5 ml water flush twice daily (0900 and 2100). Bolus dosing will be needed due to the small volumes (0.5-1.5 ml per dose in most infants). The volume of nasogastric tubing used in preterm infants (Ameritus 4.0 Fr 50 cm) is 0.48 ml, therefore we will follow the administration with 0.5 ml of saline/water flush to ensure all the study drug is delivered to the patient.
Administration of study drug - Will be given via gavage feeding tube twice daily (0900 +/- 30 mins, 2100 +/- 30 mins). L-citrulline will be given by the bedside nurse as a bolus followed by 0.5 ml water flush. L-citrulline will be given separate from feeds to avoid any confusion.
Study drug will be started when infant has been off of TPN for at least 3 days so that IV arginine in TPN does not interfere.
L-citrulline 200 mg/kg/day
100 mg/kg given two times a day (200 mg/kg/day) for total 7 days
Enteral L-citrulline
L-Citrulline as 10 % solution (100 mg/ml) will be provided to the bedside nurse by the Investigational Pediatric Pharmacy. The drug will be given via gavage feeding by bolus infusions followed by a 0.5 ml water flush twice daily (0900 and 2100). Bolus dosing will be needed due to the small volumes (0.5-1.5 ml per dose in most infants). The volume of nasogastric tubing used in preterm infants (Ameritus 4.0 Fr 50 cm) is 0.48 ml, therefore we will follow the administration with 0.5 ml of saline/water flush to ensure all the study drug is delivered to the patient.
Administration of study drug - Will be given via gavage feeding tube twice daily (0900 +/- 30 mins, 2100 +/- 30 mins). L-citrulline will be given by the bedside nurse as a bolus followed by 0.5 ml water flush. L-citrulline will be given separate from feeds to avoid any confusion.
Study drug will be started when infant has been off of TPN for at least 3 days so that IV arginine in TPN does not interfere.
L-citrulline 300 mg/kg/day
150 mg/kg given two times a day (300 mg/kg/day) for total 7 days.
Enteral L-citrulline
L-Citrulline as 10 % solution (100 mg/ml) will be provided to the bedside nurse by the Investigational Pediatric Pharmacy. The drug will be given via gavage feeding by bolus infusions followed by a 0.5 ml water flush twice daily (0900 and 2100). Bolus dosing will be needed due to the small volumes (0.5-1.5 ml per dose in most infants). The volume of nasogastric tubing used in preterm infants (Ameritus 4.0 Fr 50 cm) is 0.48 ml, therefore we will follow the administration with 0.5 ml of saline/water flush to ensure all the study drug is delivered to the patient.
Administration of study drug - Will be given via gavage feeding tube twice daily (0900 +/- 30 mins, 2100 +/- 30 mins). L-citrulline will be given by the bedside nurse as a bolus followed by 0.5 ml water flush. L-citrulline will be given separate from feeds to avoid any confusion.
Study drug will be started when infant has been off of TPN for at least 3 days so that IV arginine in TPN does not interfere.
Interventions
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Enteral L-citrulline
L-Citrulline as 10 % solution (100 mg/ml) will be provided to the bedside nurse by the Investigational Pediatric Pharmacy. The drug will be given via gavage feeding by bolus infusions followed by a 0.5 ml water flush twice daily (0900 and 2100). Bolus dosing will be needed due to the small volumes (0.5-1.5 ml per dose in most infants). The volume of nasogastric tubing used in preterm infants (Ameritus 4.0 Fr 50 cm) is 0.48 ml, therefore we will follow the administration with 0.5 ml of saline/water flush to ensure all the study drug is delivered to the patient.
Administration of study drug - Will be given via gavage feeding tube twice daily (0900 +/- 30 mins, 2100 +/- 30 mins). L-citrulline will be given by the bedside nurse as a bolus followed by 0.5 ml water flush. L-citrulline will be given separate from feeds to avoid any confusion.
Study drug will be started when infant has been off of TPN for at least 3 days so that IV arginine in TPN does not interfere.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Parents have provided informed consent/assent in a manner that is approved by the IRB
Exclusion Criteria
* Congenital heart disease affecting cardio-respiratory system (other than PDA, PFO or ASD)
* Necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, or any condition requiring surgery prior to recruitment
30 Weeks
ALL
No
Sponsors
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The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Amna Investigator, MD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Texas
Locations
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University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas, United States
Countries
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References
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Fike CD, Summar M, Aschner JL. L-citrulline provides a novel strategy for treating chronic pulmonary hypertension in newborn infants. Acta Paediatr. 2014 Oct;103(10):1019-26. doi: 10.1111/apa.12707. Epub 2014 Jun 20.
Montgomery AM, Bazzy-Asaad A, Asnes JD, Bizzarro MJ, Ehrenkranz RA, Weismann CG. Biochemical Screening for Pulmonary Hypertension in Preterm Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Neonatology. 2016;109(3):190-4. doi: 10.1159/000442043. Epub 2016 Jan 19.
Fike CD, Dikalova A, Kaplowitz MR, Cunningham G, Summar M, Aschner JL. Rescue Treatment with L-Citrulline Inhibits Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Newborn Pigs. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2015 Aug;53(2):255-64. doi: 10.1165/rcmb.2014-0351OC.
Vadivel A, Aschner JL, Rey-Parra GJ, Magarik J, Zeng H, Summar M, Eaton F, Thebaud B. L-citrulline attenuates arrested alveolar growth and pulmonary hypertension in oxygen-induced lung injury in newborn rats. Pediatr Res. 2010 Dec;68(6):519-25. doi: 10.1203/PDR.0b013e3181f90278.
Waugh WH, Daeschner CW 3rd, Files BA, McConnell ME, Strandjord SE. Oral citrulline as arginine precursor may be beneficial in sickle cell disease: early phase two results. J Natl Med Assoc. 2001 Oct;93(10):363-71.
Smith HA, Canter JA, Christian KG, Drinkwater DC, Scholl FG, Christman BW, Rice GD, Barr FE, Summar ML. Nitric oxide precursors and congenital heart surgery: a randomized controlled trial of oral citrulline. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2006 Jul;132(1):58-65. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2006.02.012.
Abman SH, Hansmann G, Archer SL, Ivy DD, Adatia I, Chung WK, Hanna BD, Rosenzweig EB, Raj JU, Cornfield D, Stenmark KR, Steinhorn R, Thebaud B, Fineman JR, Kuehne T, Feinstein JA, Friedberg MK, Earing M, Barst RJ, Keller RL, Kinsella JP, Mullen M, Deterding R, Kulik T, Mallory G, Humpl T, Wessel DL; American Heart Association Council on Cardiopulmonary, Critical Care, Perioperative and Resuscitation; Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young; Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention; Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; and the American Thoracic Society. Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension: Guidelines From the American Heart Association and American Thoracic Society. Circulation. 2015 Nov 24;132(21):2037-99. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000329. Epub 2015 Nov 3.
Barr FE, Tirona RG, Taylor MB, Rice G, Arnold J, Cunningham G, Smith HA, Campbell A, Canter JA, Christian KG, Drinkwater DC, Scholl F, Kavanaugh-McHugh A, Summar ML. Pharmacokinetics and safety of intravenously administered citrulline in children undergoing congenital heart surgery: potential therapy for postoperative pulmonary hypertension. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007 Aug;134(2):319-26. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2007.02.043.
Schwedhelm E, Maas R, Freese R, Jung D, Lukacs Z, Jambrecina A, Spickler W, Schulze F, Boger RH. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of oral L-citrulline and L-arginine: impact on nitric oxide metabolism. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2008 Jan;65(1):51-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2007.02990.x. Epub 2007 Jul 27.
Qasim A, Mehdi MQ, Bhatia S, Franco-Fuenmayor ME, Jain SK. Enteral L-citrulline supplementation in preterm infants is safe and effective in increasing plasma arginine and citrulline levels-a pilot randomized trial. J Perinatol. 2024 May;44(5):702-708. doi: 10.1038/s41372-023-01761-x. Epub 2023 Aug 28.
Provided Documents
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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan
Other Identifiers
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17-0194
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id