A study protocol to investigate if acipimox improves muscle function and sarcopenia: an open-label, uncontrolled, before-and-after experimental medicine feasibility study in community-dwelling older adults.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia is the age-associated loss of muscle mass and strength. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) plays a central role in both mitochondrial function and cellular ageing processes implicated in sarcopenia. NAD concentrations are low in older people with sarcopenia, and increasing skeletal muscle NAD concentrations may offer a novel therapy for this condition. Acipimox is a licensed lipid-lowering agent known to act as an NAD precursor. This open-label, uncontrolled, before-and-after proof-of-concept experimental medicine study will test whether daily supplementation with acipimox improves skeletal muscle NAD concentrations. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Sixteen participants aged 65 and over with probable sarcopenia will receive acipimox 250 mg and aspirin 75 mg orally daily for 4 weeks, with the frequency of acipimox administration being dependent on renal function. Muscle biopsy of the vastus lateralis and MRI scanning of the lower leg will be performed at baseline before starting acipimox and after 3 weeks of treatment. Adverse events will be recorded for the duration of the trial. The primary outcome, analysed in a per-protocol population, is the change in skeletal muscle NAD concentration between baseline and follow-up. Secondary outcomes include changes in phosphocreatine recovery rate by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy, changes in physical performance and daily activity (handgrip strength, 4 m walk and 7-day accelerometry), changes in skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiratory function, changes in skeletal muscle mitochondrial DNA copy number and changes in NAD concentrations in whole blood as a putative biomarker for future participant selection. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial is approved by the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (EuDRACT 2021-000993-28) and UK Health Research Authority and Northeast - Tyne and Wear South Research Ethics Committee (IRAS 293565). Results will be made available to participants, their families, patients with sarcopenia, the public, regional and national clinical teams, and the international scientific community. PROTOCOL: Acipimox feasibility study Clinical Trial Protocol V.2 2/11/21. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The ISRCTN trial database (ISRCTN87404878).

CLINICAL PRESENTATION OF RENAL CELL CARCINOMA.

BACKGROUND: Most common malignant tumour of the kidney is Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) and is known for its unpredictable clinical behaviour. Aetiology and risk factors are not completely understood. Extensive workup is being done in the understanding of the disease, especially to diagnose early and to treat promptly. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical presentation and pathological pattern of RCC. METHODS: After approval from ethical committee a retrospective review of records was conducted extending from January 2012 to January 2014 to identify clinical characteristics of renal cell carcinomas. The study included all renal cancer patients presented to Sheikh Zayed Hospital Lahore with in this specified period. The data was retrieved regarding, history, physical examination and necessary investigations such as ultrasonsgraphy of abdomen and pelvis and CT scan of abdomen and pelvis. RESULTS: There were total of 50 cases. The male to female ratio was 3:2. Mean age of patients were 52.38 (18-93) years old. Most common clinical presentation was gross haematuria (66%).The mean tumour size was 8.34 (3-24) cm. Tumour histology were clear cell (84%), papillary transitional cell carcinoma (12%) and oncosytoma contributed 4%. CONCLUSION: We observed that large number of the patients with RCC presented with haematuria and most of them were male. Common pathological type was clear cell carcinoma.