Effects of Butyrate Against Pediatric Obesity (BAPO)

March 31, 2022 updated by: Roberto Berni Canani, MD, PhD, Federico II University

Effects of Oral Supplementation of Butyrate in Children With Obesity

Worldwide obesity is a public health concern that is defined by the World Health Organization as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. The main drivers of obesity pathogenesis seem to be a long-term of energy discrepancy between too many calories consumed and an increase of sedentary behavior. A growing body of evidence suggests that the set of microbes that live within the digestive tract, making up the gut microbiota (GM), play a metabolic role in energy regulation and substrate metabolism. Various factors can impact GM, one of these are dietary compounds that deeply affect the growth and metabolism of gut bacteria, since fermentation of nutrients is one core function of the intestinal microbes. Among fermentation products an array of small organic metabolites are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate and butyrate. Among SCFAs, the C-4 fatty acid butyrate, the main fuel for the colonocytes, might have a potential in alleviating obesity and related metabolic complications. Butyrate could act as a regulator of body weight: a reasonable speculation is that butyrate acts on components of the energy balance, promoting energy expenditure and/or reducing energy intake. Preclinical studies have shown that butyrate supplementation prevent high-fat diet-induced obesity and it is able to treat obesity. With the sharp increase of obesity prevalence seen in the pediatric population, novel insights are necessary to counteract this epidemic disease, the outcome of the study is to see whether oral butyrate supplementation could exert similar effect in obese children.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
54

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Italy
      • Naples, Italy, 80131
        • University of Naples Federico II

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

5 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children/adolescents with diagnosis of obesity (BMI >95° percentile for age and sex) observed at Pediatric Section of Department of Translational Medical Sciences (University of Naples Federico II)

Exclusion Criteria

  • Age at enrollment <5 or >17 years
  • BMI <95° percentile for age and sex
  • Patients under pharmacological treatment for obesity (metformin)
  • Patients assuming vitamin E,
  • Patients assuming pre-, pro- or synbiotics

  • Simultaneous presence of other chronic diseases unrelated to obesity:

    • cancer,
    • immunodeficiency,
    • cystic fibrosis,
    • allergies,
    • celiac disease,
    • autoimmune diseases,
    • neuropsychiatric disorders,
    • type 1 diabetes,
    • inflammatory bowel diseases,
    • malformations of urinary or gastrointestinal or respiratory tract,
    • chronic lung diseases, genetic and metabolic diseases,
    • chronic hematological diseases.
  • History of surgery for the treatment of obesity
  • Any medical condition that may interfere with participation in this study
  • Participation in other clinical trials still in progress

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Butyrate + standard care for pediatric obesity
standard care for pediatric obesity + sodium butyrate (20 mg/kg body weight/day)
Dietary supplement: butyrate
sodium butyrate (20 mg/kg body weight/day)
Placebo Comparator: placebo + standard care for pediatric obesity
standard care for pediatric obesity + placebo (cornstarch)
Other: placebo
cornstarch

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
BMI z-score change
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
BMI z-score change at least of ≥ 0.25
after 6 months from the start of intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
waist circumference
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean waist circumference change
after 6 months from the start of intervention
HOMA index change
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of HOMA index change
after 6 months from the start of intervention
fasting glucose change
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of fasting glucose change
after 6 months from the start of intervention
fasting insulin change
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of fasting insulin change
after 6 months from the start of intervention
total cholesterol change
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of total cholesterol change
after 6 months from the start of intervention
Low density Lipoprotein cholesterol change
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of Low density Lipoprotein cholesterol change
after 6 months from the start of intervention
High density Lipoprotein cholesterol change
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of high density Lipoprotein cholesterol change
after 6 months from the start of intervention
plasma triglycerides change
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of plasma triglycerides change
after 6 months from the start of intervention
micro RNA 221- expression
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of mir221- expression
after 6 months from the start of intervention
serum ghrelin
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of serum ghrelin
after 6 months from the start of intervention
serum Interleukin-6
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
mean of Interleukin-6
after 6 months from the start of intervention
composition of the intestinal microbiota (metagenomics characteristics)
Time Frame: after 6 months from the start of intervention
evaluation of gut microbiota structure by shotgun analysis
after 6 months from the start of intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Federico II University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 26, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 3, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 6, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 8, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 31, 2022

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 29ES20

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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