A Phase 3 interventional study of Citrulline and placebo in Intestinal Failure, sponsored by Nantes University Hospital. Completed at 2 sites in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-14.
Sponsored by Nantes University Hospital · Phase 3, Interventional, and Treatment
The specific aim of this study is to determine whether oral citrulline administration enhances whole body protein synthesis in patients with intestinal failure. Protein metabolism will be assessed using an intravenous infusion of stable isotope labeled leucine. The investigators hypothesize that citrulline supplementation will decrease leucine oxidation without altering proteolysis, and consequently stimulate protein synthesis.
64 studies on the registry are indexed under Intestinal Failure; 17 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 11 is below the median of 38 across 42 interventional studies indexed under Intestinal Failure.
Browse Intestinal Failure studies →Nantes University Hospital is the lead sponsor of 839 studies on the registry; 195 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Childbearing potential
Able to become pregnant: from the first period until menopause, unless permanently unable to through surgery (removal of the womb, or of both ovaries or both fallopian tubes).
Criteria for people of childbearing potential usually ask for a negative pregnancy test and for contraception during the study and for a time after it.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraception
Ways of preventing pregnancy. “Highly effective” methods fail less than 1% of the time a year when used correctly — for example an IUD or an implant.
Criteria usually say which methods count and how long to keep using them after the last dose, sometimes for male participants too. Some studies accept a partner’s vasectomy if it was confirmed successful and that person is the participant’s only sexual partner.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Drug: Citrulline and placebo
Drug: Citrulline and placebo
After receiving a 7-day oral supplementation with either citrulline or placebo, each subject will be admitted for a half day, after an overnight fast, and will receive a 5-h intravenous infusion of L-\[1-13C\]leucine. At regular intervals throughout the isotope infusion, blood will be obtained to measure 13C-enrichment in plasma a-keto-isocaproate, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Simultaneously, 13C-enrichment will be measured in aliquots of expired air CO2 using isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and total CO2 production (VCO2) will be measured using direct calorimetry, respectively. Then the subject take no treatment for 13 days. The study will then be repeated a second time in an identical fashion, after a second 7-day period of oral supplementation with either citrulline or placebo.
whole body protein synthesis
To determine whether oral citrulline administration enhances whole body protein synthesis in patients with intestinal insufficiency, as measured using an intravenous infusion of stable isotope labelled leucine.
nitrogen balance
Using a 6-h urine collection, to determine the effect of oral citrulline administration on nitrogen balance
Measure of insulin
to determine whether the putative protein anabolic effect of citrulline is mediated by insulin or insulin-like-growth factor 1 (IGF-1), based on measurement of their plasma concentrations
Measure of insulin-like-growth factor 1 (IGF-1)
To determine whether the putative protein anabolic effect of citrulline is mediated by insulin or insulin-like-growth factor 1 (IGF-1), based on measurement of their plasma concentrations.
This study is completed, as verified in May 2016. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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