Pentoxifylline -- a biomedical profile.

The therapeutical benefit of pentoxifylline (Trental) in vascular disorders and chronic diseases which provoke disturbances in nutritive microcirculation is reviewed. With its hemorheological activity, pentoxifylline offers a new approach to ameliorate impaired blood flow in affected microvasculature. This statement is given evidence by numerous experimental and clinical data which demonstrate efficacy in various indications, wuch as cerebrovascular insufficiency, senile organic brain syndrome, transient ischemic attacks, cerebral infarctus, ocular and otological circulatory disorders, peripheral angiopathies of arteriosclerotic, diabetic, or inflammatory origin with intermittent claudication, leg ulcers and other disturbances. In vitro and in vivo findings disclose that the efficacy is based on hemorheological effects, such as improving local hyperviscosity, hyperaggregability of red cells or platelets, erythrocyte fluidity and hypercoagulability resulting in a better oxygenation of affected tissues.