THE EFFECT OF PENTOXIFYLLINE ON CURRENT PERCEPTION THRESHOLDS IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETIC SENSORY NEUROPATHY

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a common, painful, and disabling con dition that is known to occur by two mechanisms: hyperglycemia and art erial blood flow occlusion. Pentoxifylline (Trental) functions by impr oving erythrocyte flexibility in blood vessels, which could increase t he delivery of oxygen to occluded nerve vessels, This 1-year clinical trial was aimed at ascertaining the effects of pentoxifylline an diabe tic sensory neuropathy. Fifty patients with type I or II diabetes were evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, parallel group and placebo-c ontrolled study. Pentoxifylline effectiveness was evaluated by measuri ng glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure and current perception threshol d (CPT), The CPT results showed no statistically significant effect of pentoxifylline on mean nerve sensory perception thresholds in ankle a nd toe at 5, 250 and 2000 Hz, There were no significant changes in gly cated hemoglobin or in systolic and diastolic blood pressure during th e trial, Thus, glycated hemoglobin and blood pressure did not explain the lack of pentoxifylline effect an diabetic neuropathy. In conclusio n, pentoxifylline appears not to add benefits to the clinical treatmen t of diabetic sensory neuropathy of the lower extremity. (C) 1997 Else vier Science Inc.