The acute effects of ligustrazini on hemodynamics and right cardiac function in pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

We studied 20 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to investigate the acute effect of Ligustrazini on hemodynamics and right cardiac function. The results suggested that Ligustrazini had the effects of dilating pulmonary vessel, decreasing mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, increasing cardiac output, and improving right cardiac function. The maximum effects of Ligustrazini occurred at 30 min after starting administration of the drug, but its effects disappeared 1 h after its withdrawal. From the above we are led to conclude that Ligustrazini as a vasodilator works rapidly, but its effects do not persist long.