Abstract
It is believed that the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy involves a variety of factors including vascular disturbances and metabolic disorders. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) in the patient with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, since PGE1 is known to increase blood flow and have antiplatelet aggregation activities as well as a potent peripheral vasodilator activity. Fourty μg. of PGE1 was given to four patients twice daily by intravenous drip infusion. The treatment lasted for a month.
Subjective symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy including spontaneous pain and hypesthesia of legs were improved. In 2 of the 4 patients only a slight numbness remained in the tips of the feet. However, no beneficial effect on the Achilles tendon reflex and patellar reflex was observed.
These results suggest that PGE1 is a useful drug to improve the subjective symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
