Long-term effects of cicletanine on secondary pulmonary hypertension.

Cicletanine, a furopyridine-derivative drug, was shown to enhance the production of endogenous prostacyclin. The potent vasodilating properties of prostacyclin are used to treat severe primary pulmonary hypertension. Prostacyclin has a short half-life and can be administered only as an i.v. infusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of cicletanine on pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) resulting from chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD). In a double-blind controlled study, we evaluated the effects of short- and long-term administration of cicletanine (50 mg daily, orally) on hemodynamics and blood gases of patients with PAH resulting from COLD. The initial dose of 50 mg of cicletanine had no effect. A significant decrease in the mean pulmonary artery pressure (15%) and in total pulmonary resistance (20%) was observed after 3 or 12 months of treatment in the cicletanine group (11 patients), when compared with placebo (12 patients). PaO2 decreased slightly in the cicletanine group, but the difference from the control group was not significant. These results suggest that long-term treatment with cicletanine can induce effective pulmonary vasodilation in patients with PAH caused by COLD and that this is probably responsible for a small venous admixture.