Nicardipine hydrochloride injection is widely used for emergency treatment of abnormally high blood pressure. However, nicardipine hydrochloride injection often causes severe peripheral vascular injury. The goal of this study was to reduce vascular injury by nicardipine hydrochloride injection. Here, we investigated the characteristics of nicardipine hydrochloride-induced vascular injury with human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) in an irritability study in the rabbit ear vein. Nicardipine hydrochloride decreased cell viability and increased percentage of dead cells in a dose-dependent manner. The results from the irritability study in the rabbit ear vein suggest that the administration rate and drug concentration were related to venous and perivascular tissue injury. Thus, administration rate, drug concentration, and blood flow rate at the injection site were important factors for the reduction of nicardipine hydrochloride-induced venous irritation.
