Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Vol 12, Issue 3 480-484, Copyright © 1997 by Oxford University Press
JK Madsen, H Zachariae and EB Pedersen
BACKGROUND: Deterioration of renal function and rise in blood pressure are
clinically important side-effects of cyclosporin (CsA) treatment. Calcium
antagonists may have a renoprotective effect against CsA nephrotoxicity.
PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of the dihydropyridine calcium-channel
blocker felodipine on renal haemodynamics, tubular sodium handling, and
blood pressure in CsA- treated patients with no primary renal disease, 18
patients with various CsA-treated dermatological diseases were allocated to
receive either felodipine 5 mg (extended release tablets) once daily for 4
weeks followed by placebo for 4 weeks, or vice versa, in a prospective,
randomized, double-blind study. The patients were investigated before
treatment and at the end of each treatment period. RESULTS: After
felodipine, both glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal plasma flow
(RPF) were significantly higher compared to placebo (89.4 +/- 17.5 (mean
+/- SD) vs 79.0 +/- 15.9 ml/min and 412.0 +/- 107.6 vs 326.1 +/- 78.0
ml/min respectively, P < 0.001 for both), and filtration fraction (FF)
was lower (0.22 +/- 0.03 vs 0.25 +/- 0.03, P < 0.001). Both systolic and
diastolic blood pressure were lower after felodipine compared to placebo
(116 +/- 11/71 +/- 7 vs 133 +/- 18/83 +/- 10 mmHg, P < 0.001 for both).
Furthermore, proximal output of sodium, i.e. fractional excretion of
lithium, was higher after felodipine (26.9 +/- 7.3% vs 20.4 +/- 5.5%, P
< 0.001) as well as total sodium excretion (0.33 +/- 0.19 vs 0.19 +/-
0.08 mmol/min, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded, that felodipine
5 mg once daily for 4 weeks increased GFR, RPF, and sodium excretion in
cyclosporin-treated dermatological patients with no primary renal disease.
Furthermore, felodipine lowers blood pressure in these patients. The
effects of felodipine may be due to an antagonizing effect against
CsA-induced nephrotoxicity.
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Effects of the calcium antagonist felodipine on renal haemodynamics, tubular sodium handling, and blood pressure in cyclosporin-treated dermatological patients
Research Laboratory of Nephrology and Hypertension, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
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