Energetics and Function in Older Humans

Baylor College of Medicine

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 1

Conditions

Aging

Muscle Weakness

Erythrocyte Glutathione Deficiency

Treatments

Dietary Supplement: Cysteine (as n-acetylcysteine) and Glycine

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02348762

H-34686 Glutathione and Aging

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators have previously reported that older patients with HIV are deficient in glutathione (GSH) due to decreased availability of cysteine and glycine, and that oral supplementation with cysteine (as n-acetylcysteine) and glycine for 2-weeks corrects their own levels, and improves concentrations of red-cell GSH. The investigators also found that when GSH deficient, subjects had impaired mitochondrial energetics and this improved with an increase in intracellular GSH concentrations. The current proposal will investigate if cysteine and glycine supplementation for a duration of 24 weeks will result in changes in : (a) GSH levels; (b) body composition/anthropometry; (c) strength and function; (d) quality of life; (e) mitochondrial energetics; (f) biochemistry (including dyslipidemia and oxidative stress); (g) protein and glucose metabolism; (h) cognition and memory. 3 months after completing supplementation, measurement of GSH concentrations, strength, function, mitochondrial energetics and neurocognitive tests will be done to determine the effects of washout.

Full description

Data not available at present

Enrollment

16 patients

Sex

All

Ages

21 to 80 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Older subjects:

age 70-80 years;

Younger subjects:

age 21-30 years

Exclusion criteria

No known diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, or cancer;
Any limitations in ability to walk;
Triglyceride concentrations greater than 500 mg/dl (if lipid lowering medications are stopped);
BMI less than 20.