Title:Dipyridamole: A Drug with Unrecognized Antioxidant Activity
Volume: 15
Issue: 9
Author(s): Marco Ciacciarelli, Chiara Zerbinati, Francesco Violi and Luigi Iuliano
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Antioxidant, Atherosclerosis, Cancer, Coronary artery disease, Dipyridamole, Ischemia-reperfusion injury,
Neurodegeneration, Neuroprotection.
Abstract: Dipyridamole was introduced on the market as coronary vasodilator drug more than half a
century ago and is still used as antithrombotic and vasodilator. Among cellular targets, it inhibits
phosphodiesterases and raises extracellular levels of adenosine through inhibition of adenosine reuptake
by red blood cells. As a consequence, endocellular levels of cyclic nucleotides are upregulated.
The rise of cGMP in vascular smooth mu scle cells and of cAMP in platelets provide the mechanism
of vasodilation and antithrombosis, which are further potentiated by the release of PGI2 consequent on the increase in endothelial
cell cAMP. These effects support the use of dipyridamole in cardiovascular diseases in which the drug is approved
for the secondary prevention of cerebrovascular events. On the other hand, dipyridamole has been shown to possess
a potent, little perceived, antioxidant activity of potential use in the several fields where pathophysiological pathways
are dependent on oxidative stress, including those occurring in atherosclerosis, thrombosis, CNS-related diseases, and
cancer.
