PHARMACODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF SULODEXIDE ON PROFIBRINOLYTIC AND HAEMORRHEOLOGICAL PATTERNS

Twenty-four patients with vascular disorders, randomly divided into 3 dosage groups of 8 patients, were treated with a single oral dose of s ulodexide (50, 100 or 200mg) and placebo. Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) activity and antigen, euglobulin lysis time, alpha(2)-antiplasmin, plasminogen, fibrinogen, blood and plasma viscosity, and whole blood filtration rate were dete rmined before administration and over the following 24 hours. Sulodexi de significantly increased t-PA activity linearly with the dose over t he range of 50 to 200mg. At the same time, it also significantly decre ased the concentration of PAI-1 linearly and proportionally with the d ose. No clear effects were observed on the other monitored parameters, although euglobulin lysis time and plasma viscosity showed a tendency to decrease after the administration of sulodexide. These results jus tify the clinical activity of sulodexide. Indeed, the concomitant incr ease of t-PA and decrease of PAI-1 activity and antigen might increase the natural fibrinolytic activity with a physiological potentiation, without other adverse effects. The known activity of sulodexide in dec reasing plasma viscosity during long term treatment is, however, not i mmediately explicable by the single-dose effects.