Background: Diabetic nephropathy is a clinical syndrome characterized by persistent albuminuria and progressive impairment in renal function. Pentoxifylline is a non-specific inhibitor of phosphodiesterase with anti-inflammatory properties which may have therapeutic potency in patients with diabetic kidney disease.
Objective: The present study is aimed at evaluating the efficacy of pentoxifylline as a treatment strategy for alleviating the microalbuminuria in type-2 diabetic patients with nephropathy.
Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was performed on outpatients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy who presented urine albumin excretion of 30-300 mg per 24 hours on at least three consecutive occasions. A total of 58 patients were randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups. The treatment group (n=29) received pentoxifylline (400 mg/day) for 3 months in addition to the standard drugs for diabetic nephropathy (Raas blockers), while the control group (n=29) received placebo as add-on therapy. Finally, urine albumin test was measured before and after 3 months of treatment and compared between the two groups.
Results: Before the intervention, no significant difference in the levels of albuminuria was observed between the two groups (153.21±130.80 mg/day vs. 159.93 ±130.45; p=0.845); but after 12 weeks of treatment, albuminuria in the treatment group was significantly reduced compared to the placebo group (29.59 ±27.88 mg/day vs. 160.48±129.53 mg/day; p<0.0001). At the end of the study, the response rate to treatment (more than 50% reduction in albuminuria) was 89.7% in the pentoxifylline group, while no response to treatment was observed in the placebo group (p<0.0001).
Conclusions: Pentoxifylline as add-on therapy to the conventional treatment (Raas blockers) may reduce the microalbuminuria in patients with diabetic nephropathy without any side effects.