Effects of oral single-dose administration of sarpogrelate hydrochloride on saturation O₂ of calf muscle during plantar flexion exercise

To investigate the effects of a 100-mg oral single-dose administration of sarpogrelate hydrochloride (SH) on saturation O2 (StO2) of calf muscle in healthy subjects experiencing simulated peripheral arterial disease (0.6 ankle brachial pressure index). Ten subjects performed three kinds of plantar flexion exercises at a work rate of 50% of maximal volunteer contraction for 4 min by using cuff occlusion ischemia,. Subjects performed a control test (C) without ischemia and SH, an ischemia test (I) without SH, and an I+SH test with ischemia. StO2, blood pressures (BP), and heart rate (HR) were measured through all experiments. At the end of the exercise, the decrease in StO2 from baseline in the C and I + SH tests was significantly less than that in the I test (p < 0.05, respectively). However, there were no significant differences in mean BP or HR in any of the exercise conditions. These results indicated that an oral single-dose administration of SH might improve peripheral circulation independent of any changes in BP and HR.