142). Resting oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry changed from 87±4% to 85±14% in the Pentoxifylline group and from 88±3% to 88±2% in the placebo group (P=0.676). There were no significant changes in dyspnea severity index and heart rate before and after the 6MWT. Conclusion: Pentoxifylline does not seem to improve exercise capacity

and dyspnea in patients with severe and very severe COPD. Key Words: COPD, Oxygenation, Pentoxifylline Introduction Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Pentoxifylline is a methylxanthine and possesses several properties that could have beneficial effects for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and pulmonary hypertension.1-4 With its anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and hemorheological properties,5 Pentoxifylline has been demonstrated to increase

the filterability of red blood cells (RBCs), decrease the adherence of RBCs to endothelial cells, blood viscosity, platelet aggregation, fibrinogen levels, and act as a vasodilator and improve pulmonary hemodynamics.6-11These effects can reduce the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical incidence of hypoxia by improving blood delivery to vascular beds.12 In animal Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical models, the beneficial effects of Pentoxifylline have been reported on hypoxia-induced skeletal muscle, lung, papillary muscle, and liver dysfunction.13-17 Furthermore, it is an effective adjunct to compression bandaging for treating venous ulcers and may decrease proteinuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy.7 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its use for the management of intermittent claudication.2 It is deserving of

Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical note that the majority of adverse effects of Pentoxifylline are known to be gastrointestinal inhibitor Ganetespib disturbances.18 There are, however, controversies Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical over the beneficial effects of Pentoxifylline in patients with COPD with respect to improvement in the treadmill walk time, oxygen saturation, and dyspnea. In the past, a few studies demonstrated some beneficial effects of Pentoxifylline on pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary gas exchange.1,3,4 In contrast, Scott et al.19 failed to show any benefits of Pentoxifylline on selleck oxygenation and exercise tolerance in COPD patients. The exact role which Pentoxifylline can play in COPD is still a subject for debate. We investigated the effects of Pentoxifylline in patients with severe to very severe COPD alongside pulmonary hypertension, using arterial oxygenation, the 6-Minute Anacetrapib Walk Test (6MWT), and dyspnea score in this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Materials and Methods The participants in this study were recruited from the Outpatient Pulmonary Clinic at Shiraz Medical Center. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, and informed consent was obtained from all the individuals before their participation.