Theobromine Clinical Study

Iskesen I, Saribulbul O, Cerrahoglu M, Onur E, Destan B, Sirin BH.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Celal Bayar University School of Medicine, Manisa, Turkey. iskesen@yahoo.com

BACKGROUND: Cardiac surgery is associated with an inflammatory response that may cause myocardial dysfunction after cardiopulmonary bypass. We examined the efficacy of pentoxifylline to attenuate the cardiopulmonary bypass-induced inflammatory response during heart operations. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized study, 30 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery received either pentoxifylline (group P, n = 15) (continuous infusion of 1.5 mg/kg per hour during operation) or not (group C [control], n = 15). Blood samples for measurements of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10 were taken from the arterial line in both groups at 5 different time points. RESULTS: TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8 plasma levels increased in both groups after cardiopulmonary bypass, with a higher increase in the control group (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that pentoxifylline infusion during cardiac surgery inhibits the proinflammatory cytokine release caused by cardiopulmonary bypass.

PMID: 17060046 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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