title: Pentoxifylline increases cochlear blood flow while decreasing blood pressure in guinea pigs.
abstract: The effects of pentoxifylline on cochlear blood flow (CoBF) were investigated in anesthetized guinea pigs by laser Doppler flowmetry and intravital microscopy red blood cell velocity measurement. Intra-arterial infusion of pentoxifylline (3, 4, and 5 mg/kg/min) produced dose-dependent reductions in blood pressure, accompanied by significant elevations in CoBF that were not dose-dependent. These results are in general agreement with previous findings from our laboratory utilizing normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats, however, in contrast with rats, guinea pigs revealed an initial decrease in CoBF followed by an increase. Also, pentoxifylline produced relatively smaller elevations in CoBF in guinea pigs as compared with those previously reported in rats. Taken together these results support the hypothesis that pentoxifylline increases vascular perfusion by decreasing blood viscosity and increasing the plasticity of red blood cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-4820.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Quirk
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Dengerink
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003051:Cochlea / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010431:Pentoxifylline