alpha-ketoglutarate

Oxogluric acid (α-Ketoglutarate) is not approved for any indication in the world but is an investigational drug in the United States. In the United States a phase I clinical trial is investigating whether oxogluric acid precursors found in nutritional supplements can benefit patients with the metabolic disorder propionic acidemia. Oxogluric acid is sold as a dietary supplement to athletes to improve their performance by helping to remove excess ammonia, but it is not officially approved for this indication and only experimental studies have shown a reduction in ammonia by oxogluric acid in hemodialysis patients. Physiologically, oxogluric acid acts in the Krebs cycle as an intermediate, is involved in transamination reactions during the metabolism of amino acids, forms glutamic acid by combining with ammonia, and reduces nitrogen by combining with it as well. Several experimental studies have also shown that administration of oxogluric acid helped attenuate the decreased synthesis of muscle protein that is often seen post-surgery.