The effect of PGI2 analogue on vascular endothelial function and platelet aggregation in patients with NIDDM

The effect of the short-term administration of beraprost sodium, an analogue of prostaglandin I2 (PGI2), on the function of vascular endothelial cells and platelet in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients was investigated. Seven nonobese NIDDM patients with microalbuminuria were recruited for this study. They received a dose of 20 micrograms of beraprost sodium three times daily for 1 month. Before and after this treatment, various factors concerning functions of vascular endothelial cells and platelet were measured. Treatment with PGI2 analogue caused a decrease in basal levels of plasma lipoprotein (a) from 16.8 +/- 5.3 to 13.2 +/- 4.4 mg/dL (p < 0.05), immunoreactive-(i)endothelin from 2.4 +/- 0.3 to 1.6 +/- 0.2 pg/mL, and i-thrombomudulin from 9.3 +/- 3.7 to 7.9 +/- 3.0 FU/L, respectively, and caused a significant increase in basal plasma i-tissue type plasminogen activator (tPA) from 5.3 +/- 0.7 to 8.3 +/- 1.5 ng/mL (p < 0.01). This treatment also increased maximum response of i-tPA induced by desmopressin infusion. Platelet aggregation due to ADP was inhibited in five of six patients after this treatment. In conclusion, treatment with PGI2 analogue caused a decrease in the presumed promoting factors of angiopathy such as lipoprotein (a) and endothelin and an increase in the protecting endothelial factor of angiopathy, tissue type plasminogen activator in patients with NIDDM. And immunoreactive thrombomodulin levels which reflect the vascular endothelial cell injury tended to decrease with the treatment. Therefore, it is suggested that this treatment preserves the vascular endothelial function in diabetes.