Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Studies have found that alprostadil can inhibit platelet aggregation, relax vascular smooth muscle, diastole peripheral blood vessels and thereby improving peripheral circulation.

OBJECTIVE: To further verify whether alprostadil can promote the early recovery of renal function of renal transplantation recipients.

METHODS: Totally 125 patients in the alprostadil group received intravenous infusion of 20 μg alprostadil daily, and then compared with the 115 patients in the unused alprostadil group in the same time. The urine volume, serum creatinine and the creatinine clearance were compared between two groups; blood flow resistance-indexes, as well as the incidences of delay recovery of renal function and acute rejection were detected under color doppler ultrasound.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The urine volume and creatinine clearance in the alprostadil group were significantly higher than those in the unused alprostadil group; while the serum creatinine and the blood flow resistance-indexes were lower than the unused alprostadil group. The incidence of delay recovery of renal function in the alprostadil group was 7.2% which was significantly lower than that in the unused alprostadil group (P < 0.01); there was no significant difference in the incidence of acute rejection between two groups. The findings suggest that the administration of alprostadil in renal transplantation recipients during the early stage of kidney transplantation can accelerate the recovery of the renal function and can promote the early rehabilitation after renal transplantation.

Key words: kidney transplantation, alprostadil, graft rejection, delayed graft function