Investigation of the Role of FHL-1 and Myostatin in Intensive Care Unit Acquired Paresis (ICUAP)

Imperial College London

Status: Completed

Conditions: Intensive Care Unit Acquired Paresis; Muscle Wasting

Treatments: Other: Active muscle stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01321320

CRO1439

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary hypothesis for this study is that Myostatin and FHL-1 are important in the development of ICUAP and that changes in activity levels of muscle will modify the levels of expression and activity of these proteins.

Full description

ICUAP is an increasingly recognised clinical problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However the pathogenesis of the diseae is poorly understood and as yet no treatment exists. We believe that both myostatin and FHL-1 will be important in the development of this disease. This is based recent research and that both these proteins are likely to be regulated by sepsis and immobility (two major risk factors for ICUAP. There is evidence from invitro work that the two are likely to interact. We have designed an interventional trial to investigate the above hypothesis. Patients admitted to ICU and at risk of developing muscle wasting will be selected and receive electrical muscle stimulation of the quadriceps muscle for 1 week. Physiological measurements of peripheral and respiratory muscle strength and quadriceps size will be made pre and post intervention. And muscle biopsies, blood and urine collected from both legs pre and post intervention. The relevant molecular pathways can then be examined.

Enrollment: 13 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• High risk patients admitted to AICU.

Exclusion criteria

• Pre existing neuromuscular disease.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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13 participants in 1 patient group

Active stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

This group will receive active muscle stimulation for 1 week to the quadriceps muscle - the leg will be randomly assigned.

Treatment:

Other: Active muscle stimulation