Markers of Carnitine Acetyltransferase (CrAT) Protein Activity and Carnitine Availability

Maastricht University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Metabolism and Nutrition Disorder; Metabolic Disturbance

Treatments: Other: Exercise metabolism

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03697928

NL63005.068.18

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to measure skeletal muscle metabolism in vivo during exercise using the non-invasive Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) technique. Specifically, phosphocreatine (PCr) kinetic and Acetylcarnitine levels will be determined at resting, during exercise and during the recovery post exercise. The target population is adult healthy men, with a wide range of maximal physical capacity.

Full description

Skeletal muscle mitochondrial activation during the transition from resting metabolism to exercise may modulated by CrAT activity. Furthermore, dynamic changes in acetylcarnitine during the transition from exercise to resting metabolism (acetylcarnitine off-kinetic) may also reflect the action of CrAT protein. To date, the only possibility to get information on CrAT activity is by taking a muscle biopsy and perform enzyme activity assays ex vivo. By dynamic MRS scanning, it might be possible to deduce information that reflects CrAT activity, thereby making the biopsy sampling unnecessary.

Enrollment: 13 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 40 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Males, Generally healthy
• Age 18-40 years old
• BMI 18 - 25 kg/m2
• No medication use that interfere with the aims of the study
• Stable level of daily physical activity or training for at least 6 months

Exclusion criteria

• Females
• Regular smokers, drug abuse
• Participation in other studies
• Weight gain/loss > 3 kg in the last 6 months
• Contraindications for MRS scans:
• Vegetarian eating behavior

Trial design

13 participants in 1 patient group

CrAT subjects

Description:

13 healthy adult men, with a wide range of maximal aerobic capacity will be included. Subjects will be classified as trained, physical active and untrained according to their VO2max. Subject will perform one-legged knee extension and flexion exercise inside the MRS scanner and cycling outside the scanner

Treatment:

Other: Exercise metabolism