title: Intravenous infusion of prostacyclin sodium in man: clinical effects and influence on platelet adenosine diphosphate sensitivity and adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate levels.
abstract: Clinical tolerance, inhibition of platelet aggregation and intracellular platelet adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) levels were evaluated in normal volunteers given i.v. infusions of prostacyclin sodium at rates up to 15 ng/kg/min. Short-term infusions (30 and 60 minutes) were tolerated at rates up to 10.0 ng/kg/min; higher rates produced headaches, anxiety, nausea and vomiting. Six-hour and 24-hour infusions were tolerated at rates up to only 4.0 ng/kg/min. Twenty-four hour infusions at 4 ng/kg/min produced a consistent 4-7 microM shift to the right in the platelet ADP dose-response curve; this platelet inhibitory activity did not diminish during the infusion. Prostacyclin sodium infusion elevated intracellular cyclic AMP levels, the increases corresponding to the onset of measurable inhibition of ADP-induced aggregation, although the magnitude of the increase did not necessarily reflect the degree of inhibition. Increased template bleeding times were seen with a greater than 10-microM shift in the ADP dose-response curve. We conclude that although prostacyclin sodium has a narrow safety margin, the drug does produce platelet inhibition at infusion rates generally tolerated by healthy volunteers.
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D000328:Adult; D001760:Bleeding Time; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000032:analysis*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D004562:Electrocardiography; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D008297:Male; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D011453:Prostaglandins; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D011464:Epoprostenol; D000242:Cyclic AMP