Mitochondrial Respiratory Function in Mammalian Skeletal Muscle

The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston1 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to determine whether skeletal muscle mitochondrial function is altered in patients with head and neck cancer compared to healthy controls.

20 men and women, 30-60 years, equally divided between patients diagnosed with advanced (stages III or IV), persistent (recurrence within 6 months) or recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (n=10) and healthy age matched control subjects (n=10) will be studied. Muscle biopsies will be collected from cancer patients before and after a 4 week standard of care (SOC) treatment. Muscle biopsies from healthy control subjects will be collected at baseline only. Lean body mass and fat mass will be determined by a DEXA scan before and after 4 week SOC treatment (cancer patients) to document any change in body composition (cachexia), and at baseline only in the age-matched healthy controls. Blood will be collected from both cancer patients and healthy subjects to examine hormone levels at the time of biopsy.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Cancer Cachexia

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 30 YearsMax age: 60 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Men and women, aged 30-60 years. 2. Diagnosed with advanced (stages III or IV), persistent (recurrence within 6 months) or recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and being treated at UTMB (n=10). 3. Healthy sex and age matched controls (n=10.) 4. Able to comprehend risks and sign a consent form. 5. Fluent in English Exclusion Criteria: 1. Significant renal or heart disease or any acute metabolic disease. 2. Evidence of hepatitis as indicated by a 3-fold increase in of 2 out of 3 liver enzymes. 3. Diabetes mellitus or other untreated endocrine disease. 4. Recent (within 3 months) treatment with anabolic steroids. 5. Ongoing anticoagulant therapy. 6. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and/or hyperthecosis. 7. Non-classical adrenal hyperplasia. 8. Cushing's syndrome. 9. Pregnancy. 10. Hyperprolactinoma, hypothyroidism. 11. Granulocyte Count below 1.5x103/µL 12. Platelet Count below 150 x 103/µL 13. White Blood Cell Count below 1.0x103/µL 14. Hemoglobin below 8.0 g/dL 15. Organ transplant, HIV, or other criteria deemed immunosuppressing by the PI or study physician. 16. Any other circumstance deemed exclusionary by the PI or study physician.

Locations (1)

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Galveston, Texas, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Baseline skeletal muscle oxygen consumption (pmol O2/s*mg) in head and neck cancer patients and healthy age-matched controls

Aerobic respiration will be measured from skeletal muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis using Oroboros O2K high resolution respirometry. The average maximal skeletal muscle oxygen consumption of 10 head and neck cancer subjects will be compared to the average of 10 healthy controls.

Time frame: Baseline

Skeletal muscle oxygen consumption (pmol O2/s*mg) in head and neck cancer patients following 4 weeks of standard of care.

Aerobic respiration will be measured from skeletal muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis using Oroboros O2K high resolution respirometry. The average maximal skeletal muscle oxygen consumption of 10 head and neck cancer subjects after 4 weeks of standard of care (including chemotherapy, corticosteroids, etc. as prescribed by physician) will be compared to the average of their baseline measures.

Time frame: 4 weeks

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.