Effects of PGE-1 in patients suffering from peripheral arterial occlusive disease

The purpose of the research is to determine the effects of PGE-1 in patients with chronic obliterans arteriopathy of the lower extremities and to investigate the possibility of its having an influence on local hemodynamics.

The study comprises 123 patients aged between 39 and 75 years, suffering from Fontaine's Stage Two peripheral arteriopathy randomised into 2 therapeutic groups: the patients of Group 1 were treated with PGE-1, those of Group 2 with the association pentoxyfillin-buflomedil by venous infusion. The following were evaluated: the free walking distance on a treadmill; Rest Flow, Peak Flow and basal and minimum vascular resistance by means of strain gauge plethysmography; RF, PF, tPF and tRF by means of laserdoppler.

After 4 weeks of treatment an increase of 370% was observed in the absolute free walking distance and of 260% in that relative to patients treated with PGE-1, while the increase in the same parameters in Group 2 patients was considerably lower. Further, in Group 1 patients there was a significant increase in Peak Flow and an improvement in laserdoppler parameters markedly greater than those measured in the control group.

In conclusion, the data obtained point to the effectiveness of PGE-1 in patients suffering from Fontaine's Stage 2 obliterans arteriopathy: this substance in fact improves the microcirculation and leads to the development of collateral circuits with a consequent improvement in local hemodynamics and an increase in walking distance.