EFFICACY OF IBUDILAST ON LOWER-LIMB CIRCULATION OF DIABETIC-PATIENTS WITH MINIMALLY IMPAIRED BASE-LINE FLOW - A STUDY USING COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND LASER-DOPPLER FLOWMETRY

Ibudilast is a prostacyclin-mediated vasodilator and antiplatelet agen t. The hemodynamic effects of ibudilast were evaluated in 41 patients with nan-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus by means of two-dimension al Doppler ultrasonography and laser Doppler blood flowmetry. Before a nd one hour after oral administration of ibudilast (10 mg), or elastas e (1800 U) as a control, the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the dorsal pedis artery, its blood flow index (BFI), and dermal microcirculatory blood volume (MBV) were measured, In the ibudilast group, all of the p arameters (CSA, BFI, and MBV) significantly increased as compared with the elastase group. These data suggest that ibudilast is effective in ameliorating diabetic macroangiopathy and microangiopathy of the lowe r limbs.