Carnitine Supplementation in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Carnitine Supplementation as a Therapy to Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetic Patients With Low Carnitine Status

the results from animal studies and preliminary human studies show that carnitine availability and acetylcarnitine concentrations are low in insulin resistant states such as with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, in humans, carnitine supplementation is sometimes beneficial, but not in everyone. We hypothesize that this variability in response might be due to differences between individuals in the amount of carnitine in the muscle i.e. subjects with a low initial carnitine status will benefit more from supplementation. The state of the art non-invasive magnetic resonance spectroscopy method allows us to identify patients muscle acetylcarnitine status. Here we aim to test whether carnitine improves insulin sensitivity, furthermore, whether acetylcarnitine concentration at baseline or other characteristics are associated with the response (in insulin sensitivity) to carnitine supplementation. Furthermore, we will examine the potentially positive effect of carnitine supplementation in type 2 diabetes patients on intrahepatic lipid content, acetylcarnitine formation, blood plasma metabolites, body composition, physical performance and quality of life

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Glucose Intolerance
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Carnitene (L-Carnitine or Levocarnitine)

Detailed Description

Rationale: Type 2 diabetic patients are characterized by a decreased metabolic flexibility: a reduced capability to switch from fat oxidation in the basal state to carbohydrate oxidation in the insulin-stimulated state. This metabolic inflexibility is an early hallmark in the development of diabetes. Recent evidence suggests that a low carnitine availability may limit acetylcarnitine formation, thereby reducing metabolic flexibility. Thus, when substrate flux in the muscle is high, acetyl-CoA concentrations increase, leading to inhibition of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and thereby reducing glucose oxidation. The conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetylcarnitine relieves this acetyl-CoA pressure on PDH. In humans, carnitine supplementation is sometimes also beneficial, but not in everyone. Here we aim to test whether carnitine improves insulin sensitivity, furthermore, whether acetylcarnitine concentration at baseline or other characteristics are associated with the response (in insulin sensitivity) to carnitine supplementation. Furthermore, we will examine the potentially positive effect of carnitine supplementation in type 2 diabetes patients on intrahepatic lipid content, acetylcarnitine formation, blood plasma metabolites, body composition, physical performance and quality of life Objective: The primary objective is to investigate whether carnitine improves insulin sensitivity, furthermore, whether acetylcarnitine concentration at baseline or other characteristics are associated with the response (in insulin sensitivity) to carnitine supplementation. Furthermore, we will examine the potentially positive effect of carnitine supplementation in type 2 diabetes patients on intrahepatic lipid content, acetylcarnitine formation, blood plasma metabolites, body composition, physical performance and quality of life Study design: The current study is an interventional design with one study arm. Subjects will not be blinded for the intervention since all subjects will receive oral carnitine supplementation.

Study population: n=32, patient with type 2 diabetes (BMI 25-38, age 40-75 years) male and female will be included. Only subjects with relatively well-controlled non-insulin depended diabetes will be included.

Intervention (if applicable): Participants will be asked to take three chewing tablets of L-carnitine (330mg), three times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), for 96 days.

Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary study endpoints are insulin sensitivity and metabolic flexibility, measured by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Secondary endpoints are maximal acetylcarnitine concentrations after exercise, Intrahepatic lipid content, body composition, metabolites in the blood before (i.e. glucose, free fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol, insulin), functional markers of physical performance, cognition, quality of life and quality of sleep.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 32
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Limburg
    • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands, 6229ER
      • Maastricht University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 38 years to 73 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and woman
• Age: 40-75 years
• Woman should be postmenopausal
• BMI: 25-38 kg/m2
• Stable dietary habits
• No use of medication interfering with investigated study parameters (as determined by responsible physician)
• Use of oral glucose lowering medication (metformin only or in combination with sulfonylurea agents)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Haemoglobin levels < 7.8 mmol/L
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Use of anticoagulants
• Insulin dependent type 2 diabetic patients.
• No signs of active liver or kidney malfunction.
• Engagement in exercise > 3 hours a week
• Being vegetarian or vegan (because of altered whole body carnitine status)
• Alcohol and/or drug abuse
• Unstable body weight (weight gain or loss > 5kg in the last 3 months)
• Significant food allergies/intolerances (seriously hampering study meals)
• Participation in another biomedical study within 1 month before the first study visit, which would possibly hamper our study results
• Medication use known to hamper subject's safety during the study procedures
• Subjects with contra-indications for MRI
• Subjects who intend to donate blood during the intervention or subjects who have donated blood less than three months before the start of the study
• Subjects who do not want to be informed about unexpected medical findings
• No signs of active diabetes-related co-morbidities like active cardiovascular diseases, active diabetic foot, polyneuropathy or retinopathy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Experimental: carnitine intervention (in all participants); All subjects will undergo oral Carnitene (L-Carnitine or levocarnitine) supplementation for 96 days.The total dosage of L-carnitine per day will be 2970mg. Consumption of the chewing tablets will be divided over the day. Intake of these chewing tablets will be during breakfast (990mg), lunch (990mg) and during diner (990mg). Since the chewing tablets are only available in concentrations of 330mg, participants have to consume 3 chewing tablets per meal, a total of 9 chewing tablets each day.

Drug: Carnitene (L-Carnitine or Levocarnitine); All subjects will undergo oral Carnitene (L-Carnitine or levocarnitine) supplementation for 96 days.The total dosage of L-carnitine per day will be 2970mg. Consumption of the chewing tablets will be divided over the day. Intake of these chewing tablets will be during breakfast (990mg), lunch (990mg) and during diner (990mg). Since the chewing tablets are only available in concentrations of 330mg, participants have to consume 3 chewing tablets per meal, a total of 9 chewing tablets each day.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Insulin sensitivity	Whole body insulin sensitivity measured as GIR in µmol/kg/min during the stable period of the insulin phase of the clamp.; Hepatic insulin sensitivity measured as percent EGP supression in µmol/kg/min.; Peripheral insulin sensitivity measured as Rd in µmol/kg/min.	2-step hyperinsulinemische-egulycemische clamp (5.5 hours)
Metabolic flexibility	delta RER between basal and insulin stimulated state (both low (10mU) and high (40mU) insulin state	2-step hyperinsulinemische-egulycemische clamp (5.5 hours)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximal acetylcarnitine concentrations after exercise	Measured using 1H-MRS after 30 minutes of cycling at 70% Wmax	45 minutes
Body composition (bod pod)	determination fat mass and fat free mass	30 minutes
Intrahepatic lipid content	Measured using 1H-MRS	45 minutes
physical performance	distance covered in 6 minutes by walking	6 minutes
physical performance	10 sit-standing exercises	5 minutes
Quality of life	32-item questionnaire about Quality of Life. Reporting happens via a score on the so called combined quality of life score scale. The survey ranges between 32-160 points, with a higher score indicating a better QoL	15 minutes
Quality of sleep	The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to estimate quality of sleep (QoS) over the previous month. Reporting happens via a score on the so quality of sleep score scale. The score ranges between 0-21, with a lower score indicating a better sleep quality	15 minutes
Cognitive performance	CANTAB	1 hour

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximal aerobic capacity	(measured during a VO2max cycling test)	20 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Maastricht University Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Vera Schrauwen, Dr, Maastricht University Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 11, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): November 11, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 24, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 25, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): July 26, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 7, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 3, 2020
• Last Verified: December 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Insulin sensitivity; Metabolic flexibility
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Hyperglycemia; Glucose Intolerance
• Other Study ID Numbers: NL62791.068.17

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No