Effects of a short course of treatment with acebrophylline on the mucus rheological characteristics and respiratory function parameters in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Agliati, G.
Journal of International Medical Research 24(3): 302-310
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-0605 PMID: 8725993 Document Number: 467993
A total of 30 patients (27 males and 3 females) with a mean age of 62.6 +- 3.9 years, suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were recruited into this open study to evaluate the clinical efficacy and the safety of a short course of treatment with 100 mg acebrophylline, twice daily for 14 days. To assess the effectiveness of the drug, symptoms and signs, such as cough intensity and frequency, auscultatory pattern, dyspnoea, cyanosis, difficulty of expectoration, sputum quantity, appearance and density, were evaluated at baseline and after 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days of therapy. In addition the rheological properties of the bronchial mucus (viscosity and spinnability) were measured and respiratory function tests were performed before and after treatment. There was a progressive improvement of all evaluated symptoms and signs, resulting in improvement of the auscultatory pattern, as well as dyspnoea. This was accompanied by improvement or normalization of the respiratory function indices, which showed statistically significant differences (P lt 0.01) between the baseline and the endpoint values, apart from total lung capacity. Blood. gas analysis demonstrated a significant increase of PaO-2 and a significant decrease of PaCO-2 values at the end of the treatment period (both P lt 0.01). In general, acebrophylline was well tolerated. No clinically relevant or significant changes in any of the routine laboratory parameters were found on comparing the values obtained before and after treatment. Only three patients complained of epigastric pain, but this was not so severe or long-lasting as to require the discontinuation of the treatment. 500234739-1 Patients with chronic myeloproliferative disease are at increased risk of both thromboembolic and haemorrhagic complications. Cerebral thrombosis is a common cause of death in myeloproliferative disease patients. Picotamide is a new anti-platelet drug sharing a dual anti-thromboxane activity: inhibition of thromboxane A2 synthase and thromboxane A2 receptor antagonism. Picotamide inhibits in vitro and ex vivo platelet aggregation induced by different agonists. Interestingly, in vitro studies show that picotamide is able to increase prostacyclin biosynthesis. In the clinical setting, picotamide treatment induces only a slight prolongation of bleeding time. The safety and efficacy of picotamide long-term treatment in 15 patients with essential thrombocytosis and a positive history of previous thromboembolic events was evaluated. After 12-month treatment with picotamide no patients suffered from thrombotic events and only one minor and transient bleeding episode was observed. This observational longterm trial shows that picotamide treatment in patients with thrombocytosis at high risk of thrombotic events is safe and well tolerated. Picotamide did not increase the risk of bleeding in these patients, while at the same time, no thrombotic events were observed during the 1-year treatment.