Efficacy of alprostadil in preventing contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial

Background The role of alprostadil on the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) still remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of short-term alprostadil on the incidence of CIN in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods A total of 480 patients with coronary heart disease undergoing PCI were enrolled in our study and randomly assigned to two groups. The control group (n = 240) was given only hydration therapy and the alprostadil group (n = 240) received intravenous administration of 20 ug/day (diluted with 100 ml normal saline) from 0.5∼1 hr before to 3 days after operation on the basis of hydration. The primary endpoint of the study was the incidence of CIN, which was defined as an increase in SCr concentration ≥ 44.2 umol/l or ≥25% above baseline within 48 hr∼72 hr after exposure of contrast media. Results The incidence of CIN was significantly lower in the alprostadil group than that in the control group (6.25% vs 11.67%, P = 0.038). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that alprostadil was the protective factor of CIN (OR = 0.699, 95% CI 0.542–0.902, P = 0.006). The benefits against CIN were consistent in prespecified high-risk patients with diabetes mellitus (P = 0.003). In addition, we also found that hs-CRP and blood homocysteine values after PCI were significantly lower in the alprostadil group than those in the control group. Conclusion Prophylactic administration of alprostadil may prevent against CIN in coronary heart disease patients undergoing elective PCI, particularly in high-risk patients with diabetes mellitus.