Dipyridamole for Renal Phosphate Leak

To the Editor: Dipyridamole, a widely used vasodilatory drug, enhances renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate by decreasing adenosine uptake by tubular cells.1 In rats, dipyridamole prevents phosphate excretion induced by cyclic AMP and decreases the phosphaturic effect of parathyroid hormone.1 This demonstrates that adenosine, a local product of the degradation of nephrogenous cyclic AMP, is associated with phosphaturia. We sought to determine whether dipyridamole might decrease urinary phosphate excretion in humans. We evaluated the short-term effect of dipyridamole in 48 people (22 men and 26 women) with a mean age of 52 years (range, 26 to 74). Twelve were normal . . .