The REJUVENATE Study v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessing the effects of increased mitochondrial function on skeletal muscle performance in older men; a pilot study
IRAS ID
196424
Contact name
Timothy Etheridge
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
As people grow older skeletal muscle becomes smaller and weaker, which reduces mobility, independence and quality of life. The causes of this age-related muscle decline are poorly understood. However, a commonly observed feature that can account for many ageing muscle defects is impairment in the energy-producing units of cells: the mitochondria. Traditional interventions aimed at improving mitochondrial function, such as endurance exercise training, fail to fully restore muscle performance in the elderly compared to young people. Therefore, novel approaches for targeting mitochondria are needed. Early evidence in animals indicates that certain supplements (e.g. the drug acipimox) can increase muscle levels of molecules involved in normal mitochondrial energy production, bringing improved mitochondrial function. This proposal will establish whether such supplements can enhance mitochondrial function and, ultimately, muscle performance in elderly people.\nTwenty elderly (65-75 y) volunteers will be recruited. Volunteers will be excluded if they have significant cardiovascular/ respiratory/ metabolic/ renal disease, poor capacity to exercise, a history of peptic ulcer disease, concomitantly take a statin or have a known hypersensitivity to the intervention. At baseline, post-absorptive venous blood, muscle biopsy, oral glucose tolerance test and muscle function tests (via exercising under supervision) will be taken, followed by 14 days of supplementation of either placebo or 250 mg acipimox three-times daily, with 10 participants in each condition. At days 7 and 14 of supplementation all baseline measures will be re-assessed. This will be carried out in an NIHR facility, with cardiac monitoring by personnel trained in Advanced Life Support throughout all exercise. \nIf supplementation with acipimox is found to be beneficial, this work may have wide-reaching implications in healthcare for older people for improving muscle function and thereby reducing frailty and associated problems (such as falls and fractures).
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SW/0099
Date of REC Opinion
13 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion