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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
Published on: October 15, 2010
Effects of prostaglandin E1alpha cyclodextrin [corrected] treatment on endothelial dysfunction in patients with
Cristina Giannattasio1, MariaRosa Pozzi, Marco Gardinali
1Clinica Medica, Milan, Università Milano-Bicocca and S. Gerardo Hospital, Monza (Milan), Italy.
Objective:
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by an altered nitric oxide (NO): endothelin I ratio and by endothelial dysfunction.
Aims:
To verify the effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) alpha-cyclodestrin treatment on endothelial function, quantified as flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the radial artery.
Methods:
In 16 women with SSc (age 57 +/- 2.7 years, means +/- SE) in whom a diagnosis of SSc had been made several years earlier (7.1 +/- 1.2 years), FMD was evaluated by an echotracking technique on the radial artery, using trinitroglycerin vasodilation as a non-endothelial measure of the vessel's ability to increase its diameter maximally. FMD was evaluated after 4 months washout period and after 4 months cyclic infusion of PGE1 alpha-cyclodestrin. Expired NO was measured at the same time.
Results:
PGE1 alpha-cyclodestrin cyclic infusions did not modify systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate or trinitroglycerin radial artery vasodilation. On the other hand, it induced a marked and significant increase in FMD of the radial artery, which was also accompanied by an increase in blood flow and expired NO.
Conclusions:
Endothelial dysfunction and reduced FMD associated with SSc are improved by cyclic treatment with PGE1 alpha-cyclodestrin. This effect occurs together with a concomitant increase in expired NO, suggesting its direct positive influence on endothelial function. It may also partly explain the clinical beneficial effect of the drug in SSc.
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