Arginine Metabolism in Youth With Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes Clinical Trial

Official title:

Arginine Metabolism in Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05477134
• Other study ID #: H-51936
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 6, 2023
• Est. completion date: August 2027

Study information

• Verified date: October 2023
• Source: Baylor College of Medicine
• Contact: Mustafa Tosur, MD
• Phone: 832-822-3780
• Email: mustafa.tosur[@]bcm.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Type 2 diabetes (T2D), once considered only "a disease of older ages," is now a significant public health concern in youth. Although it is characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, its precise etiology and pathogenesis are not yet fully understood. This study aims to (1) explore arginine metabolism in youth with T2D via safe, minimally invasive kinetic experiments using stable isotope tracers and targeted metabolomics, and (2) determine the effect of exogenous arginine administration on β-cell function in youth with T2D, potentially supporting the use of this safe, low-cost, and readily available nutrient to improve pediatric diabetes outcomes.

Description:

In parallel with the youth obesity epidemic, type 2 diabetes (T2D) in youth is becoming a significant public health concern. The incidence of pediatric T2D increased by 50% during the past decade, and recent data show that T2D accounts for one in four newly-diagnosed diabetes cases in children. Youth with T2D have an aggressive disease course and a rapid decline in β-cell function, and many also have multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors at an early age. The disease is characterized by insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion, but the molecular underpinnings of T2D are not yet fully elucidated. This study aims to uncover the role of arginine metabolism in the pathogenesis of youth with T2D and the effect of exogenous arginine administration on β-cell function in them. Arginine is a known stimulant of insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells. Nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from arginine by NO synthase, and arginine stimulates insulin secretion in both NO-mediated and NO-independent mechanisms by stimulating guanylate cyclase, membrane depolarization, and metabolic by-products. The effects of arginine in pancreatic β-cells are dependent on the cells' available arginine concentration. Kinetic techniques using isotope tracer infusions and targeted metabolomics provide a unique opportunity to determine "intracellular" arginine availability and its relative contribution of various pathways to this pool. Such studies in adults with T2D have shown that arginine and NO play roles in the pathogenesis of T2D by affecting insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. In the preliminary data on children with T2D, the investigators found that children with T2D had lower fasting arginine, citrulline (arginine precursor), and glutamine (citrulline precursor) levels. In this proposal, the investigators will seek kinetic validation of these hypothesis-generating observations to investigate the role of arginine metabolism in youth with T2D. Our central hypothesis is that youth with T2D have inadequate arginine availability (Aim 1), leading to suboptimal β-cell function, which can be restored by exogenous arginine administration (Aim 2). If our hypotheses are proven, arginine supplementation will play a clinically vital role in improving diabetes outcomes in this population as a safe, low-cost, and readily available nutrient.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 30
• Est. completion date: August 2027
• Est. primary completion date: June 2027
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 12 Years to 20 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Youth with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls who meet other inclusion criteria outlined below.

2. Age and pubertal stage criteria (12- to 20-year-old girls who are postmenarchal, and 14- to 20-year-old boys who are at Tanner stage 5 genitalia),

3. Additional criteria for youth with diabetes: i. diagnosis of T2D, and ii. diabetes duration between 3 months and 10 years.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Previous history of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)

2. Current use of exogenous insulin,

3. Poorly controlled diabetes defined as HbA1c >8%,

4. Abnormal liver, thyroid, gonadal or adrenal functions,

5. Renal insufficiency defined by eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) <90 mL/min/1.73 m2,

6. Any glucose lowering medications except metformin,

7. Any medication use that will likely to interfere amino acid metabolism,

8. Any hormonal replacement therapy, and

9. Pregnancy.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Diabetes Mellitus
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
• Type 2 Diabetes

Intervention

Other:
• Stable isotope infusion, oral glucose ingestion, intravenous arginine bolus
On separate study days, each participant will have a stable isotope infusion, ingest oral glucose, and be given an intravenous arginine bolus.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Texas Children's Hospital / Baylor College of Medicine	Houston	Texas

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Baylor College of Medicine	National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	The difference in arginine availability	Arginine availability will be assessed and compared between youth with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls.	1 day
Secondary	The difference in insulin secretion and the effect of intravenous arginine bolus on insulin secretion	Insulin secretion will be assessed and compared between youth with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls using oral glucose tolerance tests and modified oral glucose tolerance tests including intravenous arginine administration. The effect of arginine bolus on insulin secretion will be compared between the groups.	1 day
Secondary	The difference in insulin sensitivity and the effect of intravenous arginine bolus on insulin sensitivity	Insulin sensitivity will be assessed and compared between youth with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls using oral glucose tolerance tests and modified oral glucose tolerance tests including intravenous arginine administration. The effect of arginine bolus on insulin sensitivity will be compared between the groups.	1 day