Influence of Pentoxifylline on Muscle Tissue Oxygen Tension (pO2) of Patients with Intermittent Claudication Before and After Pedal Ergometer Exercise

Ten patients with Stage II chronic arterial occlusive disease (intermittent claudication) took part in a randomized, intraindividual crossover study involving acute intravenous administration of 200 mg pentoxifylline or physiological saline solution (placebo). The tissue oxygen tension (pO2) response (pO2 kinetics) following treatment with placebo revealed a nominal but statistically nonsignificant increase in arithmetic mean and median pO2 immediately after the end of exercise. Values thereafter reverted approximately to the initial values recorded at rest. Comparison of the pooled pO2 histograms during the individual periods before and after the end of exercise, however, revealed a broadening of the histogram base, reflecting both higher pO2 values and, more particularly, increased numbers of hypoxic and anoxic pO 2 values. This is interpreted as an expression of nonhomogeneous capillary perfusion (maldistribution). Following administration of pentoxifylline to the same patients, there was a statistical...