Evaluation of Fructose Ingestion and the Renin Angiotensin System in Humans

Fructose is an ingredient that is added to many of our foods. It is a cheaper, sweeter additive that can be found in everything from soda pop to yogurt to granola bars. In the last few years a significant number of studies have been published linking consumption of fructose with obesity, hypertension and more recently, kidney and cardiovascular disease.

Animal studies show a strong link between excessive ingestion of fructose and the development of kidney and cardiovascular disease mediated by the renin angiotensin system, a hormonal system whose activation is detrimental to both the kidney and the heart. There has been very little research done on the potentially pathophysiological relationship between a high fructose diet and kidney and cardiovascular disease in humans.

The investigators hypothesize that ingestion of fructose will result in upregulation of the renin angiotensin system in humans.

Cardiovascular disease in women is a significant risk factor. By having women participate who are on the birth control pill and as well as women who use non oral forms of birth control or no birth control, kidney function and cardiovascular health can be examined as it relates to in the influence oral hormones might play. How the kidney responds to the influence of sugar and fructose while a woman is on an oral birth control pill, may reveal mechanisms that could help us understand cardiovascular disease in women.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Kidney Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Fructose

Detailed Description

PRIMARY AIM: To examine whether the physiologic and molecular responses to Angiotensin II (AngII) challenge differ in response to fructose intake as assessed by two independent means:

1. The renal and mean arterial pressure (MAP) response to an AngII challenge.
2. Reactive changes in circulating levels of renin and aldosterone with graded AngII challenge.

PRIMARY HYPOTHESES: Ingestion of fructose in healthy subjects will result in:

1. A decrease in renal and systemic sensitivity to infused AngII.
2. A decrease in the reactive changes in renin and aldosterone with graded AngII challenge.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 64
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Alberta
    • Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 2T9
      • University of Calgary

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age≥18 years,
• able to comprehend study and comply with high-salt diet
• kidney disease (on the approval of their nephrologist)
• on an oral birth control pill and non oral birth control and those not on birth control

Exclusion Criteria:

• cardiovascular disease (symptoms consistent with myocardial ischemia, previously documented myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrhythmias or valve abnormalities, or abnormal ECG at screening)
• cerebrovascular disease (transient ischemic attacks or stroke)
• hypertension (BP>140/90 or use of antihypertensive medications)
• diabetes mellitus (defined by history, use of hypoglycemic agents or a fasting glucose >7mmol/L)
• hyperlipidemia (LDL >4.5mmol/L or use of lipid-lowering agents)
• pregnancy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Fructose First; Study Day 1 - measurement of renal hemodynamics and blood pressure; Subjects will ingest fructose 200g daily x 14d; Study Day 2 - measurement of renal hemodynamics; Minimum 1 week "washout" period; Subjects will ingest dextrose 200g daily x 14d; Study Day 3 - measurement of renal hemodynamics and blood pressure	Dietary supplement: Fructose; Subjects will be randomized to one of 2 sequences: Sequence 1: Fructose (intervention) 200g daily x 14d followed by Dextrose (control) 200g daily x 14d Sequence 2: Dextrose (control) 200g daily x 14d followed by Fructose (intervention) 200g daily x 14d
Active Comparator: Dextrose First; Study Day 1 - measurement of renal hemodynamics and blood pressure; Subjects will ingest dextrose 200g daily x 14d; Study Day 2 - measurement of renal hemodynamics; Minimum 1 week "washout" period; Subjects will ingest fructose 200g daily x 14d; Study Day 3 - measurement of renal hemodynamics and blood pressure	Dietary supplement: Fructose; Subjects will be randomized to one of 2 sequences: Sequence 1: Fructose (intervention) 200g daily x 14d followed by Dextrose (control) 200g daily x 14d Sequence 2: Dextrose (control) 200g daily x 14d followed by Fructose (intervention) 200g daily x 14d

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in filtration fraction	To examine whether the physiologic and molecular responses to an Angiotensin II challenge differ in response to fructose intake as assessed by reactive changes in circulating levels of renin and aldosterone with a graded Angiotensin II challenge.	after 2 weeks of ingestion of fructose compared to baseline value

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
change in blood pressure in response to angiotensin II challenge	To examine whether the physiologic and molecular responses to an Angiotensin II challenge differ in response to fructose intake as assessed by renal and mean arterial pressure (MAP) response to an Angiotensin II challenge.	change after 2 weeks of fructose ingestion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Calgary
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sofia B Ahmed, MD MMSc, University of Calgary

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 29, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 1, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): August 2, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 19, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 17, 2022
• Last Verified: May 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: human; kidney; fructose; dextrose; renin angiotensin system; renal hemodynamics
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urologic Diseases; Renal Insufficiency; Kidney Diseases; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
• Other Study ID Numbers: UCalgary Sugar Study; AIHS (Other Grant/Funding Number: Establishment Grant); University of Calgary (Other Grant/Funding Number: RSO1020497)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No