title: Effects of pentoxifylline (Trental) on blood flow, viscosity, and oxygen transport in young adults with inoperable cyanotic congenital heart disease.
abstract: Four polycythemic young adults with inoperable cyanotic congenital heart disease were treated for 12 weeks with 20 mg/kg/day of pentoxifylline in an attempt to increase pulmonary blood flow by improving red blood cell demorability and decreasing whole blood viscosity. Treatment caused a rise in mean arterial oxygen saturation from 75-82%, a fall in the mean oxygen extraction coefficient from 47-40%, and a fall in mean oxygen consumption from 186-169 ml/min/m2. Pentoxifylline decreased whole blood, but not plasma, viscosity at all hematocrits over a range of shear rates. Two patients had significant bleeding episodes during treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 87131.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001809:Blood Viscosity / Q000187:drug effects; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003490:Cyanosis; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
chemical_list: D010431:Pentoxifylline