Effect of a Parenteral Emulsion With Omega3 on Neonates With PPHN and CDH (CDH-PPHN-N3)

Effect of a Parenteral Emulsion With LC-PUFA Omega 3 on Clinical Outcomes, Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Markers in Neonates With Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension Associated With Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a parenteral emulsion containing n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in fish oil on clinical outcomes, markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and pain in neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) compared with those who receive an emulsion containing soy oil and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) without n-3 LC-PUFA.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Pulmonary Hypertension of Newborn; Diaphragm Defect
• Intervention / Treatment: Combination product: lipid injectable emulsion with Fish oil

Detailed Description

Background. Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), is a syndrome characterized by difficulty to provide normal pulmonary vasodilatation at birth or after birth, which may be related to right ventricular dysfunction, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, sepsis, and meconium aspiration. This condition is understudied. PPHN causes pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) that decreases left pulmonary artery flow (LPA), meaning that blood cannot be oxygenated in the lungs, leading to low oxygen delivery to all organs. Expensive medication along with ventilator support may help, but the latter and PPHN increase the production of the inflammatory mediators such as pro-inflammatory cytokines and markers of oxidative stress, which cause cell toxicity. To treat the hernia, infants undergo corrective surgery, which further increases the production of inflammatory markers and worsens oxidative stress. As a result, the pain of the surgery also worsens the hypoxemia and respiratory insufficiency in the newborn. PPHN is associated with chronic lung disease (CLD). To date, there is no effective treatment for neonates with PPHN, and around one-third of patients may not respond to current management, leading to the death of up to 33% of infants in developed countries. In Mexico, the mortality rate from PPHN may reach 80%, which is an unacceptable outcome at a high cost. Therefore, the prevention or reduction of the severity of PPHN is actively sought.

Previous reports have shown that the n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves the nutritional status and clinical outcomes in septic newborn reduce systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction in newborns who underwent cardiovascular surgery with a shorter stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. In addition, those babies received lower amounts of analgesics. Other authors have shown that n-3 LC-PUFA reduces oxidative stress. In experimental models of PPHN, the EPA and DHA from Omegaven (fish oil) increased pulmonary artery flow and decrease pulmonary vascular resistance. In the current project, it is hypothesized that n-3 LC-PUFA improves clinical outcomes such as decreasing pulmonary vascular pressure and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in neonates with PPHN. This hypothesis has not been evaluated.

Objective. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a parenteral emulsion containing n-3 LC-PUFA in fish oil on clinical outcomes, markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, and pain in neonates with PPHN compared with those who receive an emulsion containing soy and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) without n-3 LC-PUFA.

Methodology. A double-blind clinical trial will be carried out on Mexican newborns diagnosed with PPHN. The control group will receive intravenous nutrition support including a lipid emulsion based on soy oil plus MCT (control group) and the intervention group will receive a lipid emulsion based on soy oil, MCT, olive oil, and fish oil (n-3 LC-PUFA group); both groups will receive a dose of lipid (3 g/kg/d maximum), through total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for at least 7 days.

The effect of n-3 LC-PUFA will be evaluated on:

1. Clinical outcomes, nutritional status, the manifestation of pain
2. Markers of inflammation
3. Oxidative stress markers

To compare the groups, the Exact Fisher´s, Student's t, or U-Mann-Whitney tests will be applied as appropriate. To adjust the effect of n-3 LC-PUFA for confounders such as fatty acid background and medication, Repeated Measures ANOVA and binary logistic regression will be performed.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Mexico
  • Mexico City
    • Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico, 06720
      • Unit of Medical Research in Nutrition

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 1 hour to 2 weeks (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Plan to administrate TPN for at least 7 days
• Clinical, gasometric, and echocardiographic diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
• Gestational age >=34 weeks.
• Written informed consent signed by both parents after an explanation of the objectives, procedures and possible risks and benefits of the research, along with the signature of two witnesses

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of complex congenital cardiopathy
• Cyanotic congenital cardiology defect
• Insufficiency of the tricuspid valve
• Immunosuppressive disease. HIV has been associated with PPHN and human herpesvirus with vascular remodeling, perivascular macrophages, and lung fibrosis
• Clinical entities that preclude the total parenteral nutrition for one day or longer.
• Presence of profuse and persistent haemorrhage at any level

Elimination criteria

• Parents who withdraw their consent.
• Starting a drug at doses for nonclotting treatment such as heparin, enoxaparin.
• Development of profuse and persistent haemorrhage at any level after receiving vitamin K treatment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Omega 3; The experimental group will receive a parenteral emulsion containing soy oil, MCT, olive oil and n-3 LCPUFA in fish oil	Combination product: lipid injectable emulsion with Fish oil; TPN will start at 1.5-2.0 g/kg/d of the lipid emulsion, increasing 1.0 g/kg/d until a maximum of 3.0 g/kg/d for at least 7 days.; Other Names: SMOFLIPID
Sham Comparator: Control group; The Control group will receive a parenteral emulsion containing soy oil and MCT	Combination product: lipid injectable emulsion with Fish oil; TPN will start at 1.5-2.0 g/kg/d of the lipid emulsion, increasing 1.0 g/kg/d until a maximum of 3.0 g/kg/d for at least 7 days.; Other Names: SMOFLIPID

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Preductal partial pressure of carbon (PaCO2)	Good response if the carbon in blood is <60-70 mmHg measured by gasometry in arterial blood	Before surgery (baseline), 24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour and day 7 post-surgery.
Change in Preductal and postductal oxygen saturation (SatO2)	It is a measure of oxygenation in hemoglobin. It is preductal if the measurement id on hand, and postductal if it is on foot, determined by an pulse oximeter in percentage	Before surgery (baseline), 24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour, day 7, day 14 and day 21 post-surgery.
Change on systolic pressure of pulmonary artery	Measured by echocardiography in millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg)	Before surgery (baseline), 24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour, day 7, day 14 and day 21 post-surgery.
Inspired fraction of oxygen (FiO2)	Oxygen concentration supplied by ventilation support in percentage	Before surgery (baseline), 24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour, day 7, day 14 and day 21 post-surgery.
Growth velocity and Nutritional status	Measurement of body weight in grams, length, and head circumference in centimeters (if clinical condition allows it) to obtain grams/kg/d, cm/week, Z score, and eutrophic or undernutrition outcome using the Fenton's standard reference of growth and/or World Health Organization as appropriate for preterm or term infants, respectively.	Before surgery (baseline), day 7, day 14 and day 21 post-surgery.
Pain manifestation	Pain will be measured with the COMFORT scale computed by eight sections with scores from 1 to 5 each.	Before surgery (baseline), 24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour, day 7, day 14 and day 21 post-surgery.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Concentration of plasma cytokines as inflammatory markers	Determination of pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1beta, tumoral necrosis factor-alpha, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 (p70) (pg/milliliter) in plasma by luminex-based immunoassay.	Before surgery (baseline), 24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour, and day 7 post-surgery.
Concentration of inflammatory derived-lipid mediators	Determination lipid mediators such as eicosanoids and resolvin(s) in ng/ml by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.	Before surgery (baseline), 24 hour, 48 hour, 72 hour, and day 7 post-surgery.
Concentration of total free thiols	This will be measured in urine by ELISA in pg/milliliter	At study entry, before surgery (2 baselines), and once a day until day 7 after surgery, then at 14 and 21 days-post-surgery.
Concentration of nitrotyrosine	This will be measured in urine by ELISA in micromol per liter (uM)	At study entry, before surgery (2 baselines), and once a day until day 7 after surgery, then at 14 and 21 days-post-surgery.
Concentration of Ratio of F2-isoprostanes (F2-isop) and F2-isofurans (F2-isof)	This ratio will be measured in urine in nmol/liter by Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.	At study entry, before surgery (2 baselines), and once a day until day 7 after surgery, then at 14 and 21 days-post-surgery.
Concentration of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)	This will be measured in urine by ELISA in pg/milliliter	At study entry, before surgery (2 baselines), and once a day until day 7 after surgery, then at 14 and 21 days-post-surgery.
Chronic Lung Disease	It will be evaluated with the need of supplementary Oxygen and/or medication to improve lung function	At hospital discharge or 56 day-old, at 6 months and one year of age

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Coordinación de Investigación en Salud, Mexico
• Collaborators: University of Southampton; Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Mariela Bernabe-Garcia, Ph.D., Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• experimental model report in DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31821204fb

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 12, 2019
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 8, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 22, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): July 24, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 18, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 17, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: PPHN; omega 3; Diaphragmatic Hernia; DHA and EPA
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Internal Hernia; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Hernia; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Hernia, Diaphragmatic; Lipids; Oils; SMOFlipid; Fish Oils
• Other Study ID Numbers: R-2019-785-044

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

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

Drug and device information, study documents

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