Intravenous Amino Acid Therapy for Kidney Protection in Cardiac Surgery.

Summary

To date, no pharmacological agents are proven efficacious in treating perioperative AKI. There is a strong biological rationale for the administration of amino acid in the management of patients at risk of AKI with increases in renal blood flow and GFR of 25 to 60% for several hours after the administration of amino acids (Woods LL 1993) mediated by a afferent arteriolar dilation.(Meyer TW 1983) Moreover, animal models have demonstrated that an increase in renal blood flow in response to a short-term amino acid infusion can protect the kidney from acute ischemic insults. Finally, these nephro-protective effects are preserved in critical illness. Cardiac surgery appears to be the best setting to test the likely beneficial renal effects of amino acid because of pathophysiological principles and the ability to intervene before the injury has begun. Although the etiology of AKI in cardiac surgery is multifactorial, renal hypoperfusion is believed to play a major role in this development by decreasing renal perfusion through a reduction in renal blood flow and through the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin system with afferent arteriolar vasoconstriction. In this setting, a global increase in renal blood flow by means of Amino Acid therapy appears a logical and promising intervention. The primary aim of the study is to determine whether providing continuous infusion of a balanced mixture of amino acids, compared to placebo (balanced crystalloid solution), reduces the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients scheduled for cardiac surgery defined as KDIGO stage 1 or greater during hospital stay.

Timeline

Start

2019-10-07

Primary completion

2024-01-17

Completion

2025-01-17

Publications

• Background Losiggio R, Redaelli MB, Landoni G, Bellomo R. Intravenous Amino-acid Infusion to Prevent Acute Kidney Injury after Cardiac Surgery: A Review of the Evidence. Ann Thorac Surg. 2025 Aug;120(2):256-266. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2024.11.020. Epub 2024 Dec 4.
• Background Baiardo Redaelli M, Landoni G, Monti G, Bellomo R. Amino acids and the kidney; friends or foes? Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2025 Mar 1;28(2):156-159. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000001083. Epub 2024 Oct 21.
• Background Pruna A, Losiggio R, Landoni G, Kotani Y, Redaelli MB, Veneziano M, Lee TC, Zangrillo A, Gaudino MFL, Bellomo R; for Protection Study group. Amino Acid Infusion for Perioperative Functional Renal Protection: A Meta-analysis. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2024 Dec;38(12):3076-3085. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2024.08.033. Epub 2024 Aug 22.
• Background Landoni G, Brambillasca C, Baiardo Redaelli M, Bradic N, Ti LK, Povsic-Cevra Z, Nepomniashchikh VA, Zoccai GB, D'Ascenzo F, Romagnoli E, Scandroglio AM, Ballotta A, Rondello N, Franco A, Massaro C, Viscido C, Calabro MG, Garofalo E, Canichella F, Monaco F, Severi L, Pisano A, Barucco G, Venditto M, Federici F, Licheri M, Paternoster G, Trompeo A, Belletti A, Mantovani LF, Perone R, Dalessandro G, Kroeller D, Haxhiademi D, Galbiati C, Tripodi VF, Giardina G, Lembo R, Nakhnoukh C, Guarracino F, Longhini F, Bove T, Zangrillo A, Bellomo R, Fominskiy E. Intravenous amino acid therapy for kidney protection in cardiac surgery a protocol for a multi-centre randomized blinded placebo controlled clinical trial. The PROTECTION trial. Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Oct;121:106898. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106898. Epub 2022 Aug 28.
• Background Rosario Losiggio, Martina Baiardo Redaelli, Alessandro Pruna, Giovanni Landoni, Rinaldo Bellomo. The renal effects of amino acids infusion. Signa Vitae. 2024. 20(7);1-4.
• Background Bellomo R, Monaco F, Paternoster G. Intravenous Amino Acids and Kidney Protection. Reply. N Engl J Med. 2024 Nov 21;391(20):1965-1966. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2412012. No abstract available.
• Background Kotani Y, Baiardo Redaelli M, Pruna A, Losiggio R, Cocozza S, Ti LK, Bradic N, Comis M, Landoni G, Bellomo R. Intravenous amino acid for kidney protection: current understanding and future perspectives. Clin Kidney J. 2024 Dec 26;18(2):sfae409. doi: 10.1093/ckj/sfae409. eCollection 2025 Feb.
• Background Pruna A, Monaco F, Asiller OO, Delrio S, Yavorovskiy A, Bellomo R, Landoni G. How Would We Prevent Our Own Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery? J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2025 May;39(5):1123-1134. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2025.01.019. Epub 2025 Jan 13.
• Background Bottussi A, D'Andria Ursoleo J, Agosta VT, De Luca M, Monaco F. The role of amino acids and protein administration in preventing cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury. Future Cardiol. 2025 Mar;21(3):191-202. doi: 10.1080/14796678.2025.2463271. Epub 2025 Feb 8.
• Results Landoni G, Monaco F, Ti LK, Baiardo Redaelli M, Bradic N, Comis M, Kotani Y, Brambillasca C, Garofalo E, Scandroglio AM, Viscido C, Paternoster G, Franco A, Porta S, Ferrod F, Calabro MG, Pisano A, Vendramin I, Barucco G, Federici F, Severi L, Belletti A, Cortegiani A, Bruni A, Galbiati C, Covino A, Baryshnikova E, Giardina G, Venditto M, Kroeller D, Nakhnoukh C, Mantovani L, Silvetti S, Licheri M, Guarracino F, Lobreglio R, Di Prima AL, Fresilli S, Labanca R, Mucchetti M, Lembo R, Losiggio R, Bove T, Ranucci M, Fominskiy E, Longhini F, Zangrillo A, Bellomo R; PROTECTION Study Group. A Randomized Trial of Intravenous Amino Acids for Kidney Protection. N Engl J Med. 2024 Aug 22;391(8):687-698. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2403769. Epub 2024 Jun 12.
• Results Baiardo Redaelli M, Monaco F, Bradic N, Scandroglio AM, Ti LK, Belletti A, Viscido C, Licheri M, Guarracino F, Pruna A, Pisano A, Pontillo D, Federici F, Losiggio R, Serena G, Tomasi E, Silvetti S, Ranucci M, Brazzi L, Cortegiani A, Landoni G, Mastroroberto P, Paternoster G, Gaudino MFL, Zangrillo A, Bellomo R; for the PROTECTION Study Group Collaborators. Amino Acid Infusion for Kidney Protection in Cardiac Surgery Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Secondary Analysis of the PROTECTION Trial. Anesthesiology. 2025 May 1;142(5):818-828. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000005336. Epub 2024 Dec 19.
• Results Belletti A, Pisano A, Scandroglio AM, Garofalo E, Calabro MG, Ferrod F, Monaco F, Brambillasca C, Baiardo Redaelli M, Meroi F, Fominskiy E, Vignale R, Ajello S, Venditto M, Scquizzato T, Porta S, Losiggio R, Suriano P, Pontillo D, Orso D, Tomasi E, Paternoster G, Lomivorotov V, Longhini F, Landoni G, Zangrillo A, Maisano F, Bellomo R, Pieri M; PROTECTION Study Group Collaborators. Intravenous amino acids for renal protection in patients receiving temporary mechanical circulatory support: a secondary subgroup analysis of the PROTECTION study. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2025 Feb 4;67(2):ezaf035. doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezaf035.
• Results Pontillo D, Rong LQ, Pruna A, Pisano A, Monaco F, Bruni A, Baiardo Redaelli M, Ti LK, Belletti A, Bradic N, Massaro C, Barucco G, Viscido C, Losiggio R, Federici F, Marmiere M, Silvetti S, Marchetti C, Carmosino M, Manazza M, Oliva FM, Cortegiani A, Guarracino F, Ranucci M, Paternoster G, Landoni G, Zangrillo A, Gaudino MFL, Bellomo R; PROTECTION Study Group Collaborators. Impact of Cardiopulmonary Bypass Duration on the Renal Effects of Amino Acids Infusion in Cardiac Surgery Patients. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2025 Sep;39(9):2296-2306. doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2025.05.050. Epub 2025 Jun 2.
• Landoni G, Oriani A, Ti LK, Losiggio R, Bradic N, Pruna A, Burrell A, Pieri M, Hodgson CL, D'Amico F, Ranucci M, Oliva FM, Comis M, Calabro MG, Viscido C, Ajello S, Ferrod F, Fresilli S, Guarracino F, Damiani D, Pisano A, Bonizzoni MA, Silvetti S, Pontillo D, Neri G, Scquizzato T, Bosco V, Marmiere M, Carmosino M, Labanca R, Federici F, Giardina G, Baiardo Redaelli M, Belletti A, Costamagna A, Fominskiy E, Arangino C, Scandroglio AM, Monti G, Cortegiani A, Paternoster G, Bove T, Bellomo R, Zangrillo A, Monaco F; PROTECTION Study Group Collaborators. Association of duration of amino acids infusion and renal protection: a secondary analysis of the PROTECTION trial. Br J Anaesth. 2026 Jul;137(1):110-117. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.12.054. Epub 2026 Feb 24.
• Consonni M, Fresilli S, Kotani Y, Garofalo E, Bradic N, Scandroglio AM, Ti LK, Comis M, Oriani A, Pisano A, Belletti A, Guarracino F, Losiggio R, Redaelli MB, Pontillo D, Arangino C, Pruna A, Federici F, D'Amico F, Silvetti S, Labanca R, Ferrod F, Pittella G, Corbo F, Ranucci M, Cortegiani A, Paternoster G, Bove T, Longhini F, Monaco F, Zangrillo A, Piemonti L; PROTECTION Study Group Collaborators. Diabetes does not modify the renal-protective effect of intravenous amino acids infusion after cardiac surgery. J Endocrinol Invest. 2026 May;49(5):1163-1172. doi: 10.1007/s40618-025-02804-0. Epub 2026 Jan 9.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.