Efficacy of Pentoxifylline Combined with Calcium Dobesilate Capsules in the Treatment of Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy and Its Effects on Hemorheology and Inflammatory Response

HU Shan; SI Hongyan; WANG Zhiguo

doi:10.3639/j.issn.2095-3097.2025.07.030

Abstract：Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of calcium dobesilate combined with pentoxifylline on non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(DR).Methods A total of 196 DR patients admitted to Qingdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to December 2024 were selected and randomly divided into a control group(98 cases)and an observation group(98 cases)using a random number table.The control group received calcium dobesilate,while the obser-vation group received pentoxifylline in combination with calcium dobesilate.Both groups were treated for 12 weeks.Clinical ef-ficacy was evaluated;best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),DR severity score(DRSS),fundus hemorrhage area,fundus exudate area,microaneurysms,whole blood viscosity,fibrinogen(FIB),hematocrit(HCT),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)levels were compared before and after treatment.Adverse reactions were recorded.Results The total ef-fective rate of the observation group was 79.59%,significantly higher than that of the control group(64.29%),with a statistically significant difference(χ2=5.687,P<0.05).After treatment,the observation group showed significantly lower DRSS[(33.29±6.41)points],fundus hemorrhage area[(28 057.31±3 987.25)px],fundus exudate area[(14 282.17±4 023.87)px],and fewer mi-croaneurysms[(15.98±5.12)]compared to the control group[(35.27±5.89)points,(29 223.65±4 137.89)px,(15 614.69±4 423.61)px,(18.34±5.42)],while BCVA(0.53±0.14)was significantly higher than that of the control group(0.48±0.11),with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).After treatment,whole blood viscosity,FIB,HCT,serum IL-1β,and TNF-α levels in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion Calcium dobesilate combined with pentoxifylline is effective in the treatment of DR,which can improve the visual acuity of patients and reduce the pathological changes of fundus.The mechanism may be related to the regulation of hemorheology and the inhibition of inflammatory response.