To investigate the effect of combined medication of beraprost sodium and aspirin on lower limb vascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).

Total of 36 type 2 diabetic patients complicated with atherosclerosis treated from July 2010 to July 2011 in the out-patients of our hospital were enrolled in this study. Those patients, aged 60-75 years, were randomly divided into two groups according to random number table, 18 cases in each group. Patients in group A(test group) were treated with beraprost sodium (20 μg tid) and aspirin (100 mg qd), while patients in group B(control group) were treated only with aspirin (100 mg qd). All the patients were given corresponding basic therapies for diabetes, hypertension and other diseases during the one-year study. Main observed parameters were artery parameters in both lower limb arteries (inner diameters, maximal atheromatous plaques, largest stenosis rates, highest velocity and flow of dorsal pedal, anterior tibial, and posterior tibial arteries) were measured by color Doppler ultrasound, and serum levels of matrix metal proteinase (MMP)-9, vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) of the patients were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The t test and K-W rank-sum test was used in data analysis.

After 1-year study, for test group the improvements of the primary targets of observed atherosclerotic parameters in lower limb arteries including the increasing of arteries inner diameters, shrinking of maximal atheromatous plaques, decreasing of highest flow and increasing of highest velocity were superior to those in control group, especially for the increases of inner diameters of right dorsal pedal artery ((2.0±0.6) mm before treatment and (2.2±0.5) mm after, t=2.390, P<0.05), left posterior tibial artery ((2.2±0.4) mm before treatment and (2.6±0.3) mm, t=4.158, P<0.05) and right posterior tibial artery ((2.1±0.4)mm before treatment and (2.7±0.5) mm, t=2.919, P<0.05) in Test group; while in control group, the diameters of maximal atheromatous plaques in left anterior tibial artery increased ((1.1±0.9) and (2.5±2.6) mm before and after treatment, t=2.350, P<0.05) and the highest velocity of left dorsal pedal artery, right dorsal pedal artery, left anterior tibial artery, right anterior tibial artery raised significantly ((45±14) and (62±19), (55±17) and (79±21), (44±12) and (85±29), (59±17) and (91±23) cm/s respectively before and after the treatment, t=8.359, 3.136, 3.946, 2.768, all P<0.05). It was showed that the levels of MMP-9 was in a significant increasing trends in both groups(t=4.110, 4.429, both P<0.05). The level of VEGF in test group decreased after the treatment but not significantly, while it increased in control group and also without statistically differences when compared with that before treatment(t=0.313, 0.561, both P>0.05).

Beraprost sodium, used in combination with aspirin, can effectively alleviate the progress of lower limb vascular disease in patients with T2DM.

Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Beraprost sodium; Aspirin; Lower limb vascular diseases