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In 21 patients suffering from obstructive peripheral arterial disease stage II according to Fontaine, therapeutic efficacy of serial whole body irradiations (infrared or ultraviolet radiation) and pretended or real ultraviolet light blood irradiations was evaluated. Before, during and after treatment the following parameters were monitored: walking distance, oxygen partial pressure (quasi-arterial/venous), flow properties of blood (appearant blood viscosity, hemodynamics (peak flow, ultrasonics). There were no significant changes following both modalities of whole body irradiations either by sunshine-like ultraviolet light nor by infrared radiation, nor by pretended blood irradiation. In the same patients mean walking distance was prolonged threefold after ultraviolet irradiation of the patient's own venous blood and subsequent retransfusion. Simultaneously, oxygen utilisation was improved (enlarged arterial/venous difference), lactate concentration was decreased and apparent blood viscosity was diminished, whereas blood flow remained unchanged or only slightly improved. In this way the circulus vitiosus of obstructive peripheral arterial disease can be overcome. As a consequence of blood irradiation walking distance enlarges, providing better chances for physical training, which helps to extend walking distance furthermore.

In 6 inpatients with angiographically ascertained arterial obstructive disease the influence of the retransfusion of uv-radiated own blood on metabolic, haemorheological, clinical and haemodynamic parameters was examined. In 4 patients a pseudoradiation was performed as control. The results confirm that under the ultra-violet radiation changes develop in the sense of a normalisation of the parameters examined. Here an improved walking capacity is accompanied by an improvement of the O2- and substrate utilisation of the tissue and the flowing properties. On the basis of the results the improvement of the microcirculation under ultra-violet radiation is to be derived. The sites of action of the ultra-violet radiation are shown in the causal chain in arterial obstructive diseases and partial steps of the mode of action are described.

The increased apparent blood viscosity proved in peripheral circulatory disease, the frequent failure of therapy by means of vasodilating medicaments and the successful therapy with the help of ultraviolet radiation of blood (UVB) by means of various techniques motivated investigations of the flow properties of blood with UVB. In six patients with angiologically ascertained arterial occlusive disease the flow properties of blood were investigated under standardized conditions by both viscosimetric techniques and independent of it by means of the centrifugation method. Plasma viscosity, apparent blood viscosity, parameters of aggregation and deformation of erythrocytes were determined before and after fictitious UVB on the hand one and before and after real UVB on the other hand. It was shown that within the limit of measurement accuracy there were no significant differences between fictitious and real UVB in plasma viscosities. Both the aggregation parameter of the centrifugation method and the apparent blood viscosity for low shear gradients before the 3rd UVB and all following ones differed significantly from those of the first UVB. No changes were found in the deformation parameters HCC infinity and the apparent viscosity for high shear gradients during UVB therapy. Possible mechanisms leading to the demonstrated improvements of the flow properties of blood by means of UVB are discussed.