Use of nitric oxide adducts

Abstract

The invention provides a method for preventing adverse effects associated with the use of a medical device in a patient by introducing into the patient a device of which at least a portion includes a prophylactic or therapeutic amount of a nitric oxide adduct. The nitric oxide adduct can be present in a matrix coating on a surface of the medical device; coated per se on a surface of the medical device; directly or indirectly bound to reactive sites on a surface of the medical device; or at least a portion of the medical device can be formed of a material, such as a polymer, which includes the nitric oxide adduct. Also disclosed is a method for preventing adverse effects associated with the use of a medical device in a patient by locally administering a nitric oxide adduct to the site of contact of said device with any internal tissue.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 646,713 filed Aug. 25, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 253,977 filed Sep. 25, 2002, abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 621,610 filed Jul. 21, 2000, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,978, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09 / 433,550 filed Nov. 4, 1999, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,539, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08 / 460,465 filed Jun. 2, 1995, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,087,479, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08 / 123,331 filed Sep. 17, 1993, abandoned. This application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,277 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,709.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to the use of medical devices and to the treatment of damaged vasculature. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of medical devices which are inserted into a patient...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] Toward arriving at the present invention, the inventors hypothesized that local delivery of an EDRF-like species to restore or replace the deficiency in EDRF noted with dysfunctional endothelium will modulate the effects of vascular injury and reduce intimal proliferation following injury. The observations that form the basis of this invention relate to the active deposition of platelets on non-platelet tissue beds rather than platelet-to-platelet aggregation.

Problems solved by technology

However, platelet deposition on artificial surfaces severely limits the clinical usefulness of such devices.

For example, exposure of blood to artificial surfaces frequently leads to serious thromboembolic complications in patients with artificial heart valves, synthetic grafts and other prosthetic devices, and in patients undergoing external circulation, including cardiopulmonary bypass and hemodialysis.

No material has been developed that matches the blood-compatible surface of the endothelium.

This creates problems in the use of artificial materials at the microvascular level, where the ratio of vessel surface area to blood volume is high (Sheppeck et al., supra).

Further, cardiopulmonary support systems used during cardiac surgery are responsible for many of the undesirable hemostatic consequences of such surgery (Bick, Semin. Thromb. Hemost. 3:59-82, 1976).

Thrombosis is also a significant problem in the use of prosthetic blood vessels, arteriovenous shunts, and intravenous or intraarterial catheters.

Conventional methods for preventing thrombus formation on artificial surfaces have a limited effect on the interaction between blood and artificial surfaces.

To further complicate matters, heparin when given systemically, can accelerate hemorrhage, already a frequent complication of cardiac surgery.

While these have some effect in preventing thromboembolism when given with oral anticoagulants, serious adverse effects can result.

In addition, the effect of aspirin and similarly acting drugs is not promptly reversible, which is essential during cardiopulmonary bypass.

Finally, agents such as aspirin, which depress platelet function by inhibiting cyclo-oxygenase, may block platelet aggregation, but they do not prevent the adhesion of platelets to artificial surfaces (Salzman et al., supra, 1981).

Despite considerable efforts to develop non-thrombogenic materials, no synthetic material has been created that is free from this effect.

In addition, the use of anticoagulant and platelet-inhibiting agents has been less than satisfactory in preventing adverse consequences resulting from the interaction between blood and artificial surfaces.

In the same manner as artificial surfaces, damaged arterial surfaces within the vascular system are also highly susceptible to thrombus formation.

Disease states such as atherosclerosis and hyperhomocysteinemia cause damage to the endothelial lining, resulting in vascular obstruction and a reduction in the substances necessary to inhibit blood clotting.

Thus, abnormal platelet deposition resulting in thrombosis is much more likely to occur in vessels in which endothelial damage has occurred.

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