Increasing Ureagenesis in Inborn Errors of Metabolism With N-Carbamylglutamate

Overview

Hyperammonemia, which can cause brain damage, occurs in many different kinds of inborn errors of metabolism. The investigators propose to determine if short-term (3 day) treatment with N-carbamylglutamate can diminish hyperammonemia by enhancing ureagenesis in these patients. The investigators propose here a short-term (3 day) trial. If it succeeds, the investigators would consider more extensive long-term studies of the drug.

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: N/A
    • Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Treatment
    • Masking: None (Open Label)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: August 2012

Detailed Description

– To determine whether brief (3 day) treatment with N-carbamylglutamate can improve ureagenesis in adult healthy controls and patients with the following inborn errors of metabolism: N-acetylglutamate synthetase deficiency, propionic acidemia, methylmalonic acidemia, carbamylphosphate synthase deficiency, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency and the syndrome of hyperammonemia, hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia (HHH Syndrome). – To determine if such treatment improves other indicators of abnormal nitrogen metabolism such as elevated blood levels of glutamine, glycine and alanine.

Interventions

  • Drug: N-carbamylglutamate
    • N-carbamylglutamate: 200 mg/kg/day for 3 days, divided into 4 daily oral doses

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: N-carbamylglutamate (Carbaglu)

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Rate of ureagenesis
    • Time Frame: 3 days
    • Goal is to determine whether a 3 day trial of N-carbamylglutamate increases ureagenesis in patients with urea cycle defects and other inborn errors of metabolism.

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Age range: males or females, ages 3 years – 70 years – Condition(s): N-acetylglutamate synthetase deficiency, propionic acidemia, methylmalonic acidemia, carbamylphosphate synthase deficiency, ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency and the syndrome of hyperammonemia, hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. – In addition, healthy volunteers will be studied (ages 18 years – 50 years). Exclusion Criteria:

  • Acutely ill on day of study (fever, evidence of hyperammonemia – ataxia, worsening obtundation, focal neurologic signs, seizures, increased intracranial pressure, vomiting, signs of acute respiratory or enteric illness, headache, confusion, disorientation, acute personality change). – Girls 11 years of age must have a negative urine/serum pregnancy test within 1 week prior to testing unless having a menstrual period during week of test – Lactating females – Hyperammonemia probably refractory to N-carbamylglutamate: other urea cycle disorders (UCD), lysinuric protein intolerance, mitochondrial disorders, congenital lactic acidemia, fatty acid oxidation defects or primary liver disease. – Amount of blood necessary for study exceeds safe limits. – Any investigational drug use within 30 days prior to enrollment. – Parents/guardians or subjects who, in the opinion of the PI, may be non-compliant with study schedules or procedures. – Subjects who do not meet all the enrollment criteria may not be enrolled. Any violations of these criteria will be reported in accordance with Institutional Review Board (IRB) Policies and Procedures.

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 3 Years

Maximum Age: 70 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Collaborator
    • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Marc Yudkoff, Division Chief – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Marc Yudkoff, MD, Principal Investigator, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Citations Reporting on Results

Ah Mew N, McCarter R, Daikhin Y, Nissim I, Yudkoff M, Tuchman M. N-carbamylglutamate augments ureagenesis and reduces ammonia and glutamine in propionic acidemia. Pediatrics. 2010 Jul;126(1):e208-14. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-0008. Epub 2010 Jun 21.

Yudkoff M, Ah Mew N, Daikhin Y, Horyn O, Nissim I, Nissim I, Payan I, Tuchman M. Measuring in vivo ureagenesis with stable isotopes. Mol Genet Metab. 2010;100 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S37-41. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2010.02.017. Epub 2010 Feb 26.

Ah Mew N, Payan I, Daikhin Y, Nissim I, Nissim I, Tuchman M, Yudkoff M. Effects of a single dose of N-carbamylglutamate on the rate of ureagenesis. Mol Genet Metab. 2009 Dec;98(4):325-30. doi: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2009.07.010. Epub 2009 Jul 14. Erratum In: Mol Genet Metab. 2010 Apr;99(4):440.

Tuchman M, Caldovic L, Daikhin Y, Horyn O, Nissim I, Nissim I, Korson M, Burton B, Yudkoff M. N-carbamylglutamate markedly enhances ureagenesis in N-acetylglutamate deficiency and propionic acidemia as measured by isotopic incorporation and blood biomarkers. Pediatr Res. 2008 Aug;64(2):213-7. doi: 10.1203/PDR.0b013e318179454b.

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