The effects of flosequinan on regional blood flow in normal man

1. The effects of 100 mg and 200 mg flosequinan on limb, hepatic and renal blood flow were investigated in 14 healthy male volunteers in a placebo controlled double-blind randomised three-way crossover study. 2. Heart rate, blood pressure, forearm blood flow and venous capacitance measured by volume plethysmography, were recorded sequentially over 4 h, after oral dosing. 3. Apparent hepatic and renal blood flows were estimated 2 h post-dose by indocyanine green dye clearance and clearance of 125-iodohippuran respectively. 4. Flosequinan produced dose-dependent reductions in resting diastolic blood pressure, accompanied by a rise in heart rate. 5. Forearm blood flow increased to a maximum 4 h after 200 mg and this was accompanied by a fall in forearm vascular resistance. 6. Hepatic blood flow increased, compared with placebo, after 200 mg flosequinan, accompanied by a fall in hepatic vascular resistance. Renal blood flow remained unchanged but renal vascular resistance fell significantly, compared with placebo, following both doses of the drug. 7. In normal man blood flow to the limb, hepatic and renal vascular beds is preserved despite dose-dependent reductions in blood pressure following single doses of flosequinan.