Calcium dobesilate: pharmacology and future approaches.

1. Calcium dobesilate (2,5-dihydroxybenzene sulfonate) is a drug commonly used in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and chronic venous insufficiency. 2. The pharmacology of calcium dobesilate reveals its ability to decrease capillary permeability, as well as platelet aggregation and blood viscosity. 3. Furthermore, recent data show that calcium dobesilate increases endothelium-dependent relaxation owing to an increase in nitric oxide synthesis.