Pentoxifylline therapy in pre-clinical studies
In rats pentoxifylline downregulates a range of inflammatory cytokines
in the context of sepsis and improves lung function [10]. In animal
studies pentoxifylline is effective as a therapeutic in a range of
models of lung injury including radiation-induced damage, cytotoxic
agent damage and aortic clamping [11]. The actions of pentoxifylline
in reducing lung damage appear to depend on a reduction of activity of
the adenosine receptor A2A [9]. The direct inhibition of 5’-
nucleotidase activity by pentoxifylline likely reduces adenosine
production and may therefore complement the actions on cytokine gene
transcription. Pentoxifylline improves glomerular damage and reduces
TNFα in crescentic glomerulonephritis in rats [12]. Pentoxifylline
does not appear to alter the replication of SARS-CoV in mice and does
not show direct antiviral activity.