suloctidil and Ischemia

The prevalence of symptomatic arterial disease of the lower limbs is 2 per cent of the population aged 45-60, but it has a relatively benign course, with 70 per cent of patients requiring no therapy. Of the numerous drugs used in the treatment of the disease, there is no evidence to suggest that antilipaemic drugs, anticoagulants, vasodilators or rheological agents confer any benefit to the patient. The initial use of antiplatelet drugs and prostaglandins has been disappointing despite the undoubted importance of the platelet/endothelial interaction in the aetiology of atherosclerosis. As it is unlikely that we can reverse advanced disease, this is hardly surprising. Long term use of these drugs may prevent deterioration in those patients with progressive disease, and controlled trials on this aspect of treatment are now required. Symptomatic relief in the claudicant may perhaps be obtained with naftidrofuryl and suloctodil and with the former in more severe ischaemia, but their use should not replace the beneficial effects of exercise and cessation of smoking.

Topics: Aged; Arteriosclerosis; Aspirin; Cholesterol; Collateral Circulation; Female; Hemodynamics; Humans; Hyperlipoproteinemias; Hypolipidemic Agents; Ischemia; Leg; Male; Middle Aged; Nafronyl; Physical Exertion; Platelet Adhesiveness; Platelet Aggregation; Prostaglandins; Sex Factors; Smoking; Suloctidil

The effects of suloctidil (1.0 mg/kg i.v.) on white matter spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) and somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) conduction were assessed in a feline lumbar spinal cord contusion model. SEP conduction ceased immediately after a 500 g-cm injury and did not recover. SCBF following suloctidil declined by only 12% from pre-injury levels over the 4 hr experiment as compared to a 42% decline observed following vehicle injection. Accordingly, 7/8 vehicle cats, but only 1/5 suloctidil-treated cats, had 4 hr SCBF values of less than 10 ml/100 g/min. Bradycardiac and hypotensive effects of suloctidil were also noted. The ability of suloctidil to prevent post-traumatic ischemia may be useful in the acute treatment of spinal cord injury.

Topics: Animals; Blood Pressure; Cats; Heart Rate; Ischemia; Propanolamines; Regional Blood Flow; Spinal Cord; Spinal Cord Injuries; Suloctidil

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Blood Viscosity; Erythrocytes; Female; Humans; Ischemia; Male; Propanolamines; Suloctidil