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AzTrials

Fatty Acid MetabolismNCT00342303

Activity of Essential Fatty Acid Elongation/Desaturation Pathway During Early Life in Human Infants, In Vivo

An observational study of Fatty Acid Metabolism, run by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at 2 sites in Chile.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

We will test the following hypotheses: 1. The activity of the desaturating/elongating enzymes assessed by the in vivo conversion of deuterated a-linolenic and linoleic acids to DHA and AA, respectively, will be related to the duration of gestation and to postnatal age. 2. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age
Conditions the study is for
Fatty Acid Metabolism
How many people
110 participants
Where
2 sitesChile
Study dates
8 Jun 1993to 13 Jul 2010
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Newborns with birth weights appropriate for their gestational age born at 28, 32, 36 and 40 weeks gestation that are recovering from common neonatal morbidity will be recruited to enter the study before 5 days of age. This disease condition will not be life threatening at the time of study.
  • The typical disease conditions expected based on the pilot phase of study are infants recovering from asphyxia, infants recovering from transient tachypnea, infants recovering from suspect pneumonia, infants recovering from hyaline membrane disease.
  • Hyperbilirubinemia in conjunction with disease condition will not be a reason for exclusion.
  • Newborns with birth weights below the tenth percentile of the weight distribution for a given gestational age born at 30-34 and 36-38 weeks gestation.
  • Will include infants born at 28 to 40 weeks who are free of major neonatal morbidity and will be recruited to enter the study at 10 days of age.

Who cannot join

  • Maternal factors which may affect their fatty acid metabolism of the neonate.
  • Vegetarian or vegan diet during pregnancy
  • Metabolic disease which may affect essential fatty acid status of the fetus (hyperlipidemia, diabetes)
  • Postnatal factors:
  • Birth weight inadequate for gestational age (birth weight below the 10th percentile or above the 90th percentile for gestational age)
  • Significant acute neonatal morbidity which interferes with normal lipid metabolism during the study period. Infants who are recovering from common neonatal morbidities that do not have obvious effects on elongase/desaturase activity will not be excluded.
  • Feeding other than prescribed for the study.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Chile2 sites
  • Clinica Presbiteriana Madre Hijo

    Santiago

  • Hospital Luis Tisne

    Santiago

Other trials in Chile

About this study

Official title: Essential Fatty Acid Metabolism in the Newborn: Equivalence of Precusors and Mediators in the Synthesis of Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids of the n-6 and n-3 Series

We will test the following hypotheses:

  1. The activity of the desaturating/elongating enzymes assessed by the in vivo conversion of deuterated a-linolenic and linoleic acids to DHA and AA, respectively, will be related to the duration of gestation and to postnatal age.
  2. Dietary w-3 and w-6 LCPUFAs in human milk or DHA and AA supplemented formula will inhibit the desaturation/elongation of deuterated a-linolenic and linoleic acids demonstrating in vivo inhibition of the metabolic pathway by respective products.

Present evidence suggests that the parent essential fatty acids (EFA), linoleic acid (18:2 w-6) and a-linolenic acids (18:3 w-3) are insufficient to fully satisfy EFA nutrition during early life in the human. A possible need for long chain (LC, longer than 18 C chain length) EFAs in the human is suggested by the accretion rates of elongated and desaturated products in the developing fetus; the altered plasma and red cell fatty acid patterns, and the abnormal visual function observed in infants receiving solely the parent EFAs; and by the relatively high concentration of LC EFAs in human milk. Most milk formula, as compared to human milk, are lower in oleic acid, higher in linoleic, have little a-linolenic acid and virtually no LC w-3 or w-6 polyunsaturated FA (LC PUFA). This study will evaluate the capacity of human infants to form w-3 and w-6 LCPUFAs from the parent EFAs as affected by developmental stage and dietary EFA supply. The precursors will be labeled with deuterium and the products analyzed by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry GC/MS. The main products of the desaturation / elongation pathway are docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic (AA) acids for the w-3 and w-6 series, respectively. Infants will be fed human milk or formulas with or without supplemental LCPUFAs as part of a study to evaluate the effect of EFAs on CNS functional development. Infants included in this study of the effect of developmental stage on EFA desaturation/elongation will be 2-5 days of age (before any fat is administered enterally or parenterally) and 28, 32, 36 or 40 weeks gestation. In addition, infants born at 28 and 40 weeks gestation will be studied 2 and 6 weeks postnatally after dietary fat has been provided for at least 7 days and energy intake is sufficient to assure growth. To evaluate the effect of dietary EFA on DHA and AA formation we will assess elongation/ desaturation in infants receiving 3 diets: human milk (which contains w-3 and w-6 LCPUFAs); cow milk based formula providing 18:2 w-6 and 18:3 w-3 but no LCPUFAs; or formula supplemented with added LCPUFAs (DHA and AA). This study should provide new information on the effects of developmental stage and w-3 and w-6 LCPUFA supply in determining the activity of EFA elongation/desaturation in the human. This knowledge may help in improving early neonatal nutritional practices to assure meeting the EFA needs of the developing CNS.

Read the detailed description

We will test the following hypotheses:

  1. The activity of the desaturating/elongating enzymes assessed by the in vivo conversion of deuterated a-linolenic and linoleic acids to DHA and AA, respectively, will be related to the duration of gestation and to postnatal age.
  2. Dietary w-3 and w-6 LCPUFAs in human milk or DHA and AA supplemented formula will inhibit the desaturation/elongation of deuterated a-linolenic and linoleic acids demonstrating in vivo inhibition of the metabolic pathway by respective products.

Present evidence suggests that the parent essential fatty acids (EFA), linoleic acid (18:2 w-6) and a-linolenic acids (18:3 w-3) are insufficient to fully satisfy EFA nutrition during early life in the human. A possible need for long chain (LC, longer than 18 C chain length) EFAs in the human is suggested by the accretion rates of elongated and desaturated products in the developing fetus; the altered plasma and red cell fatty acid patterns, and the abnormal visual function observed in infants receiving solely the parent EFAs; and by the relatively high concentration of LC EFAs in human milk. Most milk formula, as compared to human milk, are lower in oleic acid, higher in linoleic, have little a-linolenic acid and virtually no LC w-3 or w-6 polyunsaturated FA (LC PUFA). This study will evaluate the capacity of human infants to form w-3 and w-6 LCPUFAs from the parent EFAs as affected by developmental stage and dietary EFA supply. The precursors will be labeled with deuterium and the products analyzed by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry GC/MS. The main products of the desaturation / elongation pathway are docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic (AA) acids for the w-3 and w-6 series, respectively. Infants will be fed human milk or formulas with or without supplemental LCPUFAs as part of a study to evaluate the effect of EFAs on CNS functional development. Infants included in this study of the effect of developmental stage on EFA desaturation/elongation will be 2-5 days of age (before any fat is administered enterally or parenterally) and 28, 32, 36 or 40 weeks gestation. In addition, infants born at 28 and 40 weeks gestation will be studied 2 and 6 weeks postnatally after dietary fat has been provided for at least 7 days and energy intake is sufficient to assure growth. To evaluate the effect of dietary EFA on DHA and AA formation we will assess elongation/ desaturation in infants receiving 3 diets: human milk (which contains w-3 and w-6 LCPUFAs); cow milk based formula providing 18:2 w-6 and 18:3 w-3 but no LCPUFAs; or formula supplemented with added LCPUFAs (DHA and AA). Also, the relative efficiency of conversion of the 18-C precursors will be compared to the 20-C precursors with respect to their metabolic endpoints. This study should provide new information on the effects of developmental stage and w-3 and w-6 LCPUFA supply in determining the activity of EFA elongation/desaturation in the human. This knowledge may help in improving early neonatal nutritional practices to assure meeting the EFA needs of the developing CNS.

Keywords
Premature Infants, Fatty Acid Metabolism, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Infant Formula, Gas-chromatography, Mass Spectrometry
Medical subject headings
Premature Birth

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Jun 2006 (estimated)
  2. Study start8 Jun 1993
  3. Study completion13 Jul 2010

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Enrolment
110 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00342303
Sponsor's protocol ID
999993027
Other IDs
OH93-AA-N027
Status last verified
13 Jul 2010
First submitted
19 Jun 2006
Last updated
2 Jul 2017
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Lee AG, East JM, Froud RJ. Are essential fatty acids essential for membrane function? Prog Lipid Res. 1986;25(1-4):41-6. doi: 10.1016/0163-7827(86)90009-3. No abstract available.

    PubMed 2962202
  • Glomset JA. Fish, fatty acids, and human health. N Engl J Med. 1985 May 9;312(19):1253-4. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198505093121909. No abstract available.

    PubMed 3990716
  • Sprecher H. Biochemistry of essential fatty acids. Prog Lipid Res. 1981;20:13-22. doi: 10.1016/0163-7827(81)90009-6. No abstract available.

    PubMed 7342077

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Fatty Acid Metabolism, run by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at 2 sites in Chile.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jul 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in Chile. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00342303, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Jul 2017.

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