Comparative study of the effect of ethyl apovincaminate and xantinol nicotinate in cerebrovascular diseases. Immediate drug effects on the concentrations of carbohydrate metabolites and electrolytes in blood and CSF.

Randomly selected 34 cerebrovascular patients were treated with ethyl apovincaminate (RGH-4405, Cavinton) and 109 with xanitinol nicotinate. The effects of drugs given in slow i.v. infusions on the concentration of carbohydrate metabolites and electrolytes in serum and CSF were observed. Cavinton improved the paresis in 60.6% of patients while xantinol nicotinate did so only in 47.1%. On the basis of the biochemical changes it can be concluded that Cavinton enhances both the glycolytic and the oxidative glucose breakdown in CNS.