L-arginine Supplementation and Exercise; L-arginine Supplementation and Renal Function

Effects of Oral Chronic L-arginine Supplementation on Exercise and Renal Function of Heart Transplant Recipients

• exercise capacities are still altered after heart transplantation partly due to peripheral endothelial dysfunction
• cyclosporin-induced renal dysfunction may be due to renal endothelial dysfunction and can be reversed in an animal model by L-arginine supplementation
• to determine the potential beneficial effect of L-arginine supplementation on exercise capacity and renal function of heart transplant recipients

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male (> 18 years old) stable heart transplant recipient for at least 6 weeks
• Stable treatment for at least 3 months
• Sedentary people

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unstable cardiac pathology
• Obesity (IMC > 40)
• Participation in another study in the last month
• Chronic renal failure (creatinine clearance < 20 ml/min)
• Renal transplantation
• Diabetes
• Impossibility to practice exercise test
• Nitrate therapy