title: Additive antiproteinuric effect of pentoxifylline in patients with type 2 diabetes under angiotensin II receptor blockade: a short-term, randomized, controlled trial.
abstract: Despite the beneficial effects of blockade of the renin-angiotensin system in diabetic nephropathy (DN), albuminuria and progression of renal disease are not completely halted by these agents. Therefore, it is necessary to explore potential antiproteinuric and renoprotective effects of innovative therapeutic approaches. This study tested the hypothesis that the combination of pentoxifylline (PTF) with angiotensin II receptor blockers in normotensive patients with type 2 diabetes produces an additive antiproteinuric effect. Sixty-one patients with DN and residual albuminuria despite treatment with the recommended doses of ARB for >1 yr were randomly assigned to receive the addition of 1200 mg of PTF daily (n = 30) or to a control group (n = 31). Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, and correlation analysis showed a significant association between urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and urinary TNF-alpha (R = 0.53, P < 0.001). After 4 mo, albuminuria showed a significant decrease in patients who received PTF, from 900 mg/24 h (466 to 1542 mg/d) to 791 mg/24 h (309 to 1400 mg/d; P < 0.001), whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group: 920 mg/24 h (450 to 1489 mg/d) at baseline, and 900 mg/24 h (428 to 1800 mg/d) at the end of the study. The mean percentage variation of UAE in the treatment and control groups was -16.7 and 5.5%, respectively (between-group comparison, P < 0.001). This additive antiproteinuric effect was not dependent on changes in BP or metabolic control. However, both serum and urinary levels of TNF-alpha also decreased in patients who received PTF, from 6.4 pg/ml (2.1 to 9.7) and 16 pg/mg (8 to 29) at baseline to 4.6 pg/ml (0.4 to 9) and 14.2 pg/mg (3 to 26) at the end of the study, respectively (P < 0.01), without significant variations in control patients. Moreover, regression analysis at the end of the study showed a correlation between the change in UAE and the change in urinary TNF-alpha in patients who were treated with PTF (R = 0.49, P < 0.001). In conclusion, administration of PTF to patients who have type 2 diabetes and are under long-term treatment with an ARB produces a significant additive antiproteinuric effect associated with a reduction of urinary TNF-alpha excretion.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife 38010, Spain. jnavgon@gobiernodecanarias.org
authors.forename: Juan F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muros
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D012076:Renal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D012076:Renal Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D010431:Pentoxifylline