TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL VASCULAR-DISEASE WITH MISOPROSTOL (CYTOTEC(R)) - A PILOT-STUDY

Misoprostol, rile oral analogue of alprostadil, was used to treat 20 p atients (aged 40-60 years) with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) acco rding to Fontaine's classification at stages IIa and IIb. All patients received 200 mu g of misoprostol 3 times a day during a month. The th erapy with misoprostol resulted in clinical improvements in all patien ts. Elongation of pain-free (before treatment: 129 m +/- 78 m; after t reatment: 214 m +/- 109 m) and maximum walking distance (before treatm ent: 304 m +/- 169 m; after treatment: 471 m +/- 264 m) was observed. At the same time, a shortening of the duration of pain was noted (befo re treatment: 100 sec +/- 37 sec, after treatment: 71 sec +/- 23 sec). The ankle/arm pressure ratio (AAPR) and arterial blood flow increased in both limbs after 4 weeks of treatment. Activation of the fibrinoly tic system was seen in the course of therapy (shortening of euglobulin clot lysis time (ECLT) and increase in t-PA activity). The platelets became less sensitive io ADP and collagen after intake of misoprostol. The results justify administration of misoprostol as a new therapeuti c agent for the treatment of patients with PAD. (C) 1998 Prous Science . All rights reserved.