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Antihypertensive Mechanisms of Minocycline in Resistant Hypertension

Antihypertensive Mechanisms of Minocycline in Resistant Hypertension: Role of the Gut Microbiota-brain-immune Axis

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06246396
Enrollment
120
Registered
2024-02-07
Start date
2025-01-08
Completion date
2028-07-01
Last updated
2026-03-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hypertension, Resistant to Conventional Therapy

Keywords

minocycline, blood pressure

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about the mechanisms by which minocycline effect blood pressure in individuals with treatment-resistant hypertension. The main questions it aims to answer are: * To what extent does minocycline lower blood pressure? * Are such blood pressure effects mediated through changes in gut microbiota, gut leakiness, systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, or some combination of these? Participants will be randomly assigned to treatment with minocycline or placebo, treated daily for 3 months, to evaluate these questions.

Detailed description

One hundred twenty patients with treatment-resistant hypertension will be enrolled. A total of 34 patients (17 from each treatment arm), who are participants in the main study, will also be enrolled in a substudy that includes neuroimaging. The study will last 3 months, and will include 3 visit time points (screening, randomization visit, 3-month follow-up visit). Participants will be randomly assigned, in a 1:1 allocation, to minocycline 100 mg twice per day, or matching placebo, each provided by the study, and investigators will be blinded to treatment assignment. At the baseline and 3-month follow-up visit, subjects will undergo: * A comprehensive medical history and examination, including assessment of antihypertensive treatment history * A series of behavioral activity questionnaires * Blood tests (plasma renin activity, aldosterone, catecholamines, serum creatinine, lipid panel, hemoglobin a1c, as well as various biomarkers of immune and inflammatory activity, and gut leakiness markers) * Urine/saliva tests for antihypertensive adherence * Gut microbiota profiling via whole metagenomic sequencing of stool samples * Blood pressure (BP) measurement, including unattended office BP and 24-hour ambulatory BP Subjects enrolled in the neuroimaging substudy will also have PET/MR imaging performed at each visit. Neuroimaging activities will take place at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. At the final visit (3-month follow-up), participants will also have blood tests to measure study drug concentration, as a measure of adherence to the assigned treatment.

Interventions

Minocycline Hydrochloride 100 mg twice daily

DRUGPlacebo

Placebo

Sponsors

University of Florida
Lead SponsorOTHER
Emory University
CollaboratorOTHER
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age ≥18 years * Uncontrolled TRH, defined as uncontrolled blood pressure (mean 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP ≥125 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥80 mm Hg) while being adherent to a stable (no changes in ≥14 days prior) antihypertensive regimen of 3 or more drugs, including an adequately dosed diuretic or unable to tolerate a diuretic. * The participant agrees to have all study procedures performed

Exclusion criteria

* Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to minocycline or other tetracyclines * Recent (≤3 months prior), ongoing, or expected use of oral antibiotics * Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of \<45mL/min/1.73m2, using the MDRD equation * Known secondary hypertension * History of hypertensive crisis, defined as any in-patient hospitalizations for hypertensive crisis/emergency within the past year * History of orthostatic hypotension, defined as two or more episode(s) of orthostatic hypotension (reduction of SBP of \>20 mm Hg or DBP of \>10 mm Hg within 3 minutes of standing) in the past year * History of myocardial infarction, unstable angina, syncope, or cerebrovascular accident in prior 6 months * Evidence of alcoholism or drug abuse * Severe comorbid conditions (i.e., neoplasms or HIV positive or AIDS) * Current pregnancy or anticipated pregnancy during the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
24-h systolic blood pressure3 monthsChange in mean 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure
Gut microbiome3 monthsChange in butyrate-producing gene abundance
Gut inflammation and leakiness3 monthsChange in gut-homing inflammatory T-helper cells
Neuroinflammation3 monthsChange in \[18F\]FEPPA radiotracer uptake on PET/MR imaging

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mucin-degrading gene abundance3 monthsChange in mucin-degrading gene abundance
IgA+ coated plasma cells3 monthsChange in IgA+ coated plasma cells
Gut leakiness markers3 monthsChange in gut leakiness markers, including lipocalin-2, intestinal fatty-acid binding protein (I-FABP), zonulin, and lipopolysaccharides (LPS)
24-h diastolic blood pressure3 monthsChange in mean 24-hour diastolic blood pressure
24-h heart rate3 monthsChange in mean 24-hour heart rate
Adverse Events3 monthsIncidence of treatment-related adverse events

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTJoshua N Terrell
jterrell5102@ufl.edu352-294-8297
CONTACTDavid B Smith
dbsmith@cop.ufl.edu352-294-8297
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSteven M Smith, PharmD, MPH

University of Florida

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 7, 2026