Pentoxifylline affects cytokine reaction in cardiopulmonary bypass.

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.