Some haemorheological factors and transcutaneous PO2 in patients with a peripheral arterial occlusive disease after treatment with naftidrofuryl.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of long term intravenous administration of naftidrofuryl (Dusodril-Lipha Arzn) twice daily in a dose of 200 mg in continuous, 4-hour infusion in 500 ml 0.9% NaCl to the patients suffering from a peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) in a clinical condition with special attention paid to transcutaneous partial oxygen pressure measurements (tcPO2) and rheographic parameters. Also the effect of treatment with naftidrofuryl on the platelet adhesion to the bovine extracellular matrix, the leukocyte adhesion to nylon fibres, and the number of platelet-leukocyte aggregates has been studied. We have found that after the naftidrofuryl treatment tcPO2 significantly increased from 38.5 +/- 0.8 mm Hg to 54.6 +/- 11.5 mm Hg, and the impedance plethysmography indexes, such as the height of the rheographic wave, the area of the rheographic wave and the rheographic index were also slightly increased. The leukocyte adherence to nylon fibres, the platelet adhesion to the extracellular matrix and the total number of platelet-leukocyte aggregates were significantly reduced after the treatment with Dusodril. On the basis of this study it seems that the observed influence of naftidrofuryl on leukocyte function in patients with PAOD is an additional mode of action of this drug that can be of new clinical value in the treatment of patients with a peripheral occlusive arterial disease. It seems that tcPO2 measurements in ischaemic legs can be recommended as a very sensitive method of monitoring the efficacy of vasoactive drugs in patients with PAOD.