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TerminatedNCT03496584PomSkinUpdated Apr 19, 2021

Effects of Phytonutrients on Vascular Health and Skin in Obese Males

An interventional study of Pomegranate Juice and Placebo Juice in Erythema and Inflammation, sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles. Terminated at 1 site in United States. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-04-19.

Sponsored by University of California, Los Angeles · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Why this study was terminated
No funding to complete study
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
35
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

This study will determine the effects of beneficial compounds of plant foods, such as pomegranate on cardiovascular health, skin inflammation and aging. This will be tested by asking healthy males to eat a high fat ground beef patty with 8oz. pomegranate juice or 8oz placebo (a study product that looks like pomegranate juice, but contains no active ingredients) and then measuring blood vessel dilation (endothelial function) by blood flow. The investigators also will measure the amount of Nitric Oxide (NO) in blood and urine samples and sugar and insulin in blood. In addition, a Cutometer, a device that measures the elasticity of the skin, will be used to obtain measurements of skin inflammation and aging.

Healthy men have been chosen for this study because eating high fat hamburger patties can easily mimic in them the condition that causes atherosclerosis. The results from this study may help to explain how high fat foods can be harmful to the body and how beneficial plant foods can have on cardiovascular function and the skin.

Read the detailed description

The proposed investigation has two major objectives: 1. to determine the clinical efficacy of pomegranate juice to reduce skin aging by assessing UV-induced change and skin biological characteristics of elasticity, sebum, hydration/moisture and systemic inflammation and 2. To determine the impact of pomegranate polyphenols on the metabolic response to a high fat meal by postprandial flow-mediated dilation and plasma nitric oxide. The investigators propose to achieve the following specific aims in a randomized, two arm, parallel intervention of pomegranate juice or placebo for 12 weeks in obese men.

02

Conditions studied

  • Erythema
  • Inflammation
03

In context

Erythema

131 studies on the registry are indexed under Erythema; 17 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 35 is below the median of 50 across 114 interventional studies indexed under Erythema.

Browse Erythema studies →

Lead sponsor

University of California, Los Angeles is the lead sponsor of 1,170 studies on the registry; 195 are open to participants now.

Of its 95 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 70 (74%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 - 65 years old males (inclusive)
  • range from 30 to 45 (inclusive)
  • Non-smokers
  • Fitzpatrick Skin type II-IV
  • Willing to maintain normal activity and eating patterns for the duration of the study
  • Willing to maintain their normal diet for the duration of the study but avoid pomegranate products and ellagitannin rich foods.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any subject with a history of diabetes mellitus on medications, or other serious medical condition, such as chronic hepatic or renal disease, bleeding disorder, congestive heart disease, chronic diarrhea disorders, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, angioplasty within 6 months prior to screening, current diagnosis of uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic BP>160mmHg, diastolic BP>95mmHg), active or chronic gastrointestinal disorders, bulimia, anorexia, or endocrine diseases (except thyroid disease requiring medication) as indicated by medical history or routine physical examination.
  • Known cardiovascular disease, as defined by a self-reported history or medical record documentation of any of the following: myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, prior revascularization (coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous coronary intervention), peripheral vascular disease, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, congenital heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke, ).
  • History of known vascular disorder or processes including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, severe psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and cryoglobulinemia that may affect vascular studies.
  • History of skin cancer (melanoma or non-melanoma), xeroderma, pigmetosum, systemic lupus erythematosus, or dermatomyositis.
  • Any subject who is taking photosensitizing medications, i.e. Ibuprofen, Naprosyn, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, isotretinoin statins, and phenothizaones.
  • Any subject who is taking vasoactive medications (such as nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and beta-blockers)
  • Any subject with a screening laboratory value outside of the laboratory normal range that is considered for study participation by the investigator.
  • Abnormal liver function ( and ALT > 2 x upper limit)
  • Currently taking steroidal drugs
  • Cancer treated within the past two years
  • Participation in a therapeutic research study within 30 days of baseline
  • Use of antibiotics within one month
  • Allergy or sensitivity to pomegranate products
  • Follows a vegetarian, vegan or beef-free diet
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(5)

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.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

TIA (transient ischaemic attack)

A “mini-stroke”: temporary stroke-like symptoms caused by reduced blood flow to part of the brain, spinal cord or eye, without signs of a new stroke on a scan.

Stroke symptoms need emergency care at once, even if they go away.

Autoimmune disease

A condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease.

Immunotherapy studies often leave out active autoimmune disease, and some name exceptions, such as thyroid disease on replacement hormone. Check the exceptions this study lists.

Clinically significant

Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.

ALT and AST (liver enzymes)

Two enzymes measured in a routine blood test of the liver. Higher levels can mean the liver is under strain or damaged. SGPT and SGOT are older names for ALT and AST.

Criteria usually give a limit as a multiple of the upper limit of normal (ULN), often higher when cancer has spread to the liver.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
35 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Pomegranate Juice

    Postprandial high fat meal will be administered with pomegranate juice with the first dose of the intervention, Pomegranate Juice , followed by 12 weeks of pomegranate juice consumption.

    Other: Pomegranate Juice

  • Placebo comparator
    Placebo Juice

    Postprandial high fat meal will be administered with pomegranate juice with the first dose of the intervention, Placebo Juice , followed by 12 weeks of pomegranate juice consumption.

    Other: Placebo Juice

Interventions

  • OtherPomegranate Juice

    After the one week run-in period of consuming an ellagitannin-free diet, participants will undergo the skin testing followed by the postprandial meal test with a high fat (HF) test meal consumed with the first dose of the intervention (Pom J or placebo). For the next 12 weeks, participants will consume a daily dose of pomegranate juice 1x/day. During week 4 participants will undergo another skin testing. During week 12 participants will undergo another skin testing and postprandial meal challenge. Stool will be collected at week 1, 4 and 12.

  • OtherPlacebo Juice

    After the one week run-in period of consuming an ellagitannin-free diet, participants will undergo the skin testing followed by the postprandial meal test with a high fat (HF) test meal consumed with the first dose of the intervention (Pom J or placebo). For the next 12 weeks, participants will consume a daily dose of placebo juice 1x/day. During week 4 participants will undergo another skin testing. During week 12 participants will undergo another skin testing and postprandial meal challenge. Stool will be collected at week 1, 4 and 12.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in erythema dose

    Assess the effect of pom juice consumption on skin resistance to UV radiation (minimal erythema dose)

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in systemic inflammation

    2. Assess the effect of pom juice consumption on systemic inflammation (serum cytokine concentration)

    Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • UCLA Center for Human Nutriiton
    Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 19, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03496584
Responsible party
Zhaoping Li (Professor of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 12, 2018
Start date
Mar 29, 2018
Primary completion
Feb 28, 2021
Completion
Feb 28, 2021
Last update
Apr 19, 2021

Study contacts

Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD
principal investigator · University of California, Los Angeles

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is terminated, as verified in Apr 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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