Cilostazol suppresses intimal formation in dog grafted veins with reduction of angiotensin II-forming enzymes

The pharmacology of cilostazol

Cilostazol (6-[4-(1-cyclohexyl-1H-tetrazol-5-yl)butoxy]-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolinone; OPC-13013) is a 2-oxo-quinoline derivative with antithrombotic, vasodilator, antimitogenic and cardiotonic properties. The compound is a potent inhibitor of phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3A, the isoform of PDE 3 in the cardiovascular system (IC50: 0.2 microM). In addition, there is inhibition of adenosine uptake, eventually resulting in changes in cAMP levels, dependent on the type of adenosine receptors (A1 or A2). Cilostazol inhibits platelet aggregation and has considerable antithrombotic effects in vivo. The compound relaxes vascular smooth muscle and inhibits mitogenesis and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells. In the heart, cilostazol causes positive inotropic and chronotropic effects. Most, if not all, of these actions are cAMP-mediated, including the modification of cAMP-controlled gene expression. Cilostazol decreases levels of serum triglycerides and causes some increase in HDL-cholesterol levels. The compound has a number of additional effects which might contribute to its overall clinical efficacy. Cilostazol undergoes intensive and finally complete hepatic metabolism via the cytochrome P450 systems. This might result in some drug interaction, i.e. with erythromycin and omeprazole. The half-life is approximately 10 h, resulting in about 2-fold accumulation of the drug during repeated administration.

Effects of a single oral dose of cilostazol on epicardial coronary arteries and hemodynamics in humans

Cilostazol, a novel cyclic adenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase type III inhibitor, has been developed as an antiplatelet drug with a vasodilating action on peripheral arteries. The present study was designed to test, in humans, whether cilostazol can dilate the epicardial coronary arteries and what are its hemodynamic effects. Eight patients with chest pain syndrome were subjected to serial quantitative coronary arteriography immediately before and at 30, 60 and 150min after a single oral dose of cilostazol (200mg). Luminal cross-sectional areas (mm2) at the proximal and distal sites of major coronary arteries (6 segments at each sampling time) were significantly increased at 150 min after taking the drug. The percent increases relative to the baseline values were 25+/-7 (6.8+/-0.8-->8.3+/-1.0*) and 42+/-7% (2.1+/-0.3-->3.0+/-0.4*) in the right coronary artery, 24+/-5 (5.1+/-0.7-->6.1+/-0.8*) and 28+/-10% (1.6+/-0.31-->9+/-0.3*) in the left anterior descending artery, and 14+/-6 (5.9+/-0.9-->6.6+/-0.9*) and 24+/-10% (1.3+/-0.2-->1.5+/-0.2*) in the left circumflex artery, respectively (*p<0.05 vs baseline). This action, relative to that of nitroglycerine, was between 27% and 54%. Moreover, small but sustained decreases in systolic pulmonary pressure and stroke work index were observed. Thus, cilostazol has a mild coronary vasodilating action with minimal hemodynamic effects, thereby giving it a possible role in the treatment of coronary artery disease.