Insulin and Sarcopenia in the Elderly
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00690534 |
Recruitment Status
:
Completed
First Posted
: June 4, 2008
Last Update Posted
: December 12, 2016
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Sarcopenia | Drug: Insulin Regular Drug: L-NMMA Drug: Sodium Nitroprusside Other: mixed meal | Phase 1 |
Our general hypothesis is that a reduced response of muscle protein anabolism to insulin plays an important role in the loss of muscle mass with aging. Our goal is to determine the mechanisms underlying the age-related insulin resistance of muscle proteins, which will allow us to define specific interventions to target this defect and provide the scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia.
Our previous studies indicate that the response of muscle proteins to the anabolic action of insulin is impaired in healthy older adults as compared to younger controls, which hampers the anabolic effect of mixed feeding on muscle proteins. These changes are associated with an age-related reduction in the vasodilatory response to insulin, which, from our data, appears to be a potentially important mediator of the physiological anabolic effect of insulin on muscle proteins. Preliminary data from our laboratory also suggest that in older subjects a single bout of aerobic exercise may restore the normal response of blood flow, muscle protein synthesis and anabolism to insulin.
Therefore, we will test in healthy subjects the following specific hypotheses:
- Insulin-induced increases in blood flow and muscle perfusion are necessary for the physiological stimulation of muscle protein synthesis and anabolism by insulin.
- Aging reduces the vascular sensitivity to insulin, which prevents the physiological increase in blood flow and muscle perfusion in response to insulin, thereby decreasing the response of muscle protein synthesis and net balance to the anabolic action of insulin and mixed feeding.
- Aerobic exercise can restore, in older subjects, the insulin-induced increase in blood flow and muscle perfusion to youthful levels, thus normalizing the anabolic effect of insulin and mixed feeding on muscle protein synthesis and net muscle protein balance.
We will use state-of the art stable isotope tracer techniques to measure muscle protein turnover, and a newly developed method to measure muscle perfusion in young and older subjects. The results of these studies will allow us to better define the physiological mechanisms of action of insulin on muscle protein anabolism, advance our knowledge on the pathophysiology of sarcopenia, and provide the scientific basis for the behavioral and/or pharmacological treatment of muscle loss with aging.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 88 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Basic Science |
Official Title: | Insulin and Sarcopenia in the Elderly |
Study Start Date : | September 2005 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | August 2012 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | August 2012 |
Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: CMAY
Insulin in young
|
Drug: Insulin Regular
insulin, 0.2 mU/kg/min for 3 hours
|
Experimental: IMAY
L-NMMA + insulin in young
|
Drug: Insulin Regular
insulin, 0.2 mU/kg/min for 3 hours
Drug: L-NMMA
variable rate for 3 hours
|
Experimental: SNPY
SNP in young
|
Drug: Sodium Nitroprusside
variable rate for 3 hours
|
Active Comparator: CSNP
Insulin in elderly
|
Drug: Insulin Regular
insulin, 0.2 mU/kg/min for 3 hours
|
Experimental: ISNP
SNP in elderly
|
Drug: Insulin Regular
insulin, 0.2 mU/kg/min for 3 hours
Drug: Sodium Nitroprusside
variable rate for 3 hours
|
Experimental: SNPE
SNP in elderly
|
Drug: Sodium Nitroprusside
variable rate for 3 hours
|
Active Comparator: CMealO
Meal in elderly
|
Other: mixed meal
mixed meal
|
Experimental: SMealO
SNP+meal in elderly
|
Drug: Sodium Nitroprusside
variable rate for 3 hours
Other: mixed meal
mixed meal
|
Active Comparator: MealY
meal in young
|
Other: mixed meal
mixed meal
|
Experimental: ExIns
insulin+exercise in elderly
|
Drug: Insulin Regular
insulin, 0.2 mU/kg/min for 3 hours
|
Experimental: ExMeal
meal+exercise in elderly
|
Other: mixed meal
mixed meal
|
- muscle protein synthesis [ Time Frame: 5 and 8 hours ]
- blood flow [ Time Frame: 5 and 8 hours ]

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 85 Years (Adult, Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 18-40 yrs, and 65-85 yrs.
- Ability to sign consent form (score >23 on the 30-item Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE)
- Stable body weight for at least 3 months
Exclusion Criteria:
- Physical dependence or frailty (impairment in any of the Activities of Daily Living (ADL), history of falls (>2/year) or significant weight loss in the past year)
- Exercise training (>2 weekly sessions of moderate to high intensity aerobic or resistance exercise)
- Pregnancy or nursing women.
- Significant heart, liver, kidney, blood or respiratory disease
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Diabetes mellitus or other untreated endocrine disease
- Active cancer
- Recent (within 6 months) treatment with anabolic steroids, or corticosteroids.
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Severe depression (>5 on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS)
- Potential subjects who have recently donated blood in the past 60 days will be excluded from participating in the study.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00690534
United States, Texas | |
Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch | |
Galveston, Texas, United States, 77555-0460 |
Principal Investigator: | Elena Volpi, MD, PhD | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston |
Publications of Results:
Responsible Party: | The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00690534 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
05-090 5R01AG018311 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) |
First Posted: | June 4, 2008 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | December 12, 2016 |
Last Verified: | January 2015 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | No |
Plan Description: | No sharing. Drug was used off label for collection of measures for research project. |
Keywords provided by The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston:
sarcopenia aging muscle metabolism |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Sarcopenia Muscular Atrophy Neuromuscular Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Nervous System Diseases Atrophy Pathological Conditions, Anatomical Signs and Symptoms Insulin, Globin Zinc |
Insulin Nitroprusside Hypoglycemic Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs Antihypertensive Agents Vasodilator Agents Nitric Oxide Donors Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action |