title: Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of intravenous prostacyclin on hemodynamics in severe Raynaud's phenomenon: the acute vasodilatory effect is not sustained.
abstract: In 12 patients with severe Raynaud's phenomenon (RP: ischemic ulcers or intractable pain despite use of narcotic analgetics), we studied the acute and long-term hemodynamic effects of epoprostenol on systemic and finger skin circulation. Epoprostenol was infused intravenously (i.v., initial infusion rate of 2 ng/kg/min, with a subsequent increase of 2 ng/kg/min every 30 min to the individually tolerated maximal dose of 8 ng/kg/min) in a triple, 5-h, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study. During epoprostenol infusion, systolic blood pressure (SBP) remained stable, while diastolic BP (DBP) decreased (-8 mm Hg, p < 0.02), with a simultaneous increase in heart rate (HR + 14 beats/min, p < 0.001). Forearm blood flow (FBF) increased and forearm vascular resistance (FVR) decreased during epoprostenol as compared with placebo infusion (p < 0.01). Epoprostenol caused a significant increase in fingertip skin temperature (p < 0.01) as well as in laser Doppler flux (p < 0.02) before and after a standardized cooling test of the hand as compared with placebo. The increase in transcutaneous oxygen tension reached significant difference only during recovery (p < 0.02). No long-term improvement was noted during two additional cooling tests performed 1 and 6 weeks after the completed epoprostenol or placebo triple-infusion cycle. Repeated long-lasting epoprostenol infusion immediately improves the microcirculation, but these effects are not sustained after 1 week.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kingma
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wollersheim
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thien
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011928:Raynaud Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D011464:Epoprostenol