Mifepristone Effects on Glucose Intolerance in Obese/Overweight Adults

Diabetes Clinical Trial

Official title: Effects of the Glucocorticoid Antagonist, Mifepristone, on Glucose Intolerance in Obese and Overweight Individuals

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Background:

• Metabolic syndrome is a name given to a group of factors that tend to occur together. These risk factors include central obesity (extra weight around the middle of the body) and high blood pressure and blood sugar levels. They also include low levels of HDL ("good cholesterol") and high triglyceride levels. A person is said to have metabolic syndrome if they have three or more of the above risk factors. People with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.

• Cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is an important regulator of metabolism. People with central obesity and metabolic syndrome may have higher than normal cortisol levels that the body cannot regulate properly. Abnormal cortisol levels may play an important role in metabolic syndrome. Mifepristone is a drug that blocks cortisol. Researchers are interested in studying its effects on metabolic syndrome.

Objectives:

• To study the effects of short-term mifepristone treatment for metabolic syndrome.

Eligibility:

• Men and Women between 35 and 70 years of age are overweight or obese, and have abnormal glucose and triglyceride levels.

Design:

• Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will also have blood and urine tests.

• Participants will be admitted to the metabolic unit at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center for the first 3 days of the study:

• Day 1: Body measurements (height, weight, waist, hip, and neck) and blood pressure tests. Also, 24 hours of regular blood draws and 24-hour urine collection to monitor regular daily cortisol levels.

• Day 2: Glucose/insulin infusion test to measure blood sugar levels.

• Day 3: Infusion of cortisol-like compounds and then regular blood draws for about 3 hours to evaluate how cortisol is metabolized.

• At the end of Day 3, participants will receive mifepristone or a look-alike capsule to take for 7 days at home.

• After 7 days, participants will return to the metabolic unit to repeat the Day 1 and Day 2 study procedures. They will continue to take mifepristone.

• One week after the second set of study tests, participants will return for a brief physical exam and blood tests.

• The study procedures will be repeated after 6 to 8 weeks, with the other study drug.

Clinical Trial Description

The hormone cortisol is a key regulator of metabolism that influences the use of glucose (sugar) and fat as fuels. Persistently increased cortisol levels, as in Cushing s syndrome, lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and lipid abnormalities including elevated triglyceride levels and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. These same disorders are also present in patients without Cushing s syndrome, suggesting that cortisol may be involved in their pathogenesis. Mifepristone is a cortisol-like drug that blocks cortisol action in the body. It can reverse lipid abnormalities, diabetes and obesity in Cushing s syndrome patients but its effects on these conditions have not been tested in patients without the syndrome.

The long-term aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate the ability of mifepristone to reverse or improve glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, hypertension and weight gain. An initial 7-day prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study is proposed here to look at the effect of short-term administration of oral mifepristone or placebo on glucose intolerance. Given that there are no human data available on the effect of mifepristone on insulin sensitivity, this will be a pilot study of 15 subjects. Data from this study will then be used to design a larger trial to evaluate long-term effects on blood pressure and weight, as well as glucose and triglyceride control.

Overweight or obese subjects with abnormal glucose tolerance will undergo each of the two treatments in a randomized order, including mifepristone by mouth and a look-alike inert tablet by mouth. Each treatment study will include two or three days of baseline tests that will be repeated after seven days of treatment. Treatments will be separated by at least six and no more than eight weeks. The tests will include blood drawing, urine collection, administration of glucose and insulin by vein, and a cortisol-like material to evaluate the metabolism of cortisol and a related hormone, corticosterone. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Diabetes
• Endocrine Disease
• Endocrine System Diseases
• Glucose Intolerance
• Overweight

• NCT number: NCT01419535
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• Start date: November 29, 2011
• Completion date: November 24, 2015