Pentoxifylline as a therapeutic option for pre-eclampsia: a study on its placental effects

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)
78 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background and Purpose Recently pentoxifylline, a non-selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor and adenosine receptor antagonist, has attracted much interest for the treatment of the increased vascular resistance and endothelial dysfunction in pre-eclampsia. We therefore investigated the placental transfer, vascular effects and anti-inflammatory actions of pentoxifylline in healthy and pre-eclamptic human placentas. Experimental Approach The placental transfer and metabolism of pentoxifylline were studied using ex vivo placenta perfusion experiments. In wire myography experiments with chorionic plate arteries, pentoxifyllines vasodilator properties were investigated, focusing on the cGMP and cAMP pathways and adenosine receptors. Its effects on inflammatory factors were also studied in placental explants. Key Results Pentoxifylline transferred from the maternal to foetal circulation, reaching identical concentrations. The placenta metabolized pentoxifylline into its active metabolite lisofylline (M1), which was released into both circulations. In healthy placentas, pentoxifylline potentiated cAMP- and cGMP-induced vasodilation, as well as causing vasodilation by adenosine A(1) antagonism and via NO synthase and PKG. Pentoxifylline also reduced inflammatory factors secretion. In pre-eclamptic placentas, we observed that its vasodilator capacity was preserved, however not via NO-PKG but likely through adenosine signalling. Pentoxifylline neither potentiated vasodilation through cAMP and cGMP, nor suppressed the release of inflammatory factors from these placentas. Conclusion and Implications Pentoxifylline is transferred across and metabolized by the placenta. Its beneficial effects on the NO pathway and inflammation are not retained in pre-eclampsia, limiting its application in this disease, although it could be useful for other placenta-related disorders. Future studies might focus on selective A(1) receptor antagonists as a new treatment for pre-eclampsia.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5074-5088
Number of pages15
JournalBritish Journal of Pharmacology
Volume179
Issue number22
Early online date5 Aug 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Part of this research was funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development ZonMW (grant number 848082002).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Pentoxifylline as a therapeutic option for pre-eclampsia: a study on its placental effects'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this