Nitric Oxide in MELAS

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Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital are recruiting subjects with MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes) syndrome for a clinical study. The purpose of this study is to measure nitric oxide in subjects with MELAS syndrome and to see if giving arginine or citrulline will increase the formation of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is thought to be helpful in improving and preventing strokes. Therefore, if arginine and/or citrulline are shown to increase the formation of nitric oxide, they could be used to prevent and improve the strokes in patients with MELAS syndrome. Adults or children affected with MELAS syndrome and carrying the 3243 A>G mutation can participate. Subject with MELAS will be admitted twice to the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at Texas Children's Hospital and nitric oxide production will be measured by stable isotopes infusion which is a safe procedure. The principal investigator is Dr. Fernando Scaglia.

Subjects interested in participation or getting more information can contact Dr. Ayman El-Hattab at email: elhattab@bcm.edu, phone: 832-822-4289, or pager: 832-824-7243 (5523).

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Last revised 03-Sep-2010 by Steven Leber