Pulmonary vascular reactivity and hemorheology in patients with chronic cor pulmonale: responses to pentoxifylline at rest and during exercise.

This study was carried out in order to evaluate changes in pulmonary vascular reactivity and in hemorheology induced by pentoxifylline infusion (100 mg) at rest and during standardized exercise in patients with chronic cor pulmonale secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The administration of pentoxifylline at rest was associated with reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure (p less than 0.01), pulmonary vascular resistance (p less than 0.01) and right ventricular stroke work index (p less than 0.02). Standard exercise performed after pentoxifylline infusion was also associated with significant reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. Rheologic tests showed less evident changes. Our data suggest that pentoxifylline significantly improves pulmonary hemodynamics at rest and partly reverses its changes, after exercise, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.