[D-penicillamine: old drug, new indication? D-penicillamine reduced pulmonary hypertension induced by free radicals].

Pulmonary hypertension is one of the major problems in the neonatal period. Free oxygen radicals play important role in the activation of pulmonary vasoconstriction. Since D-penicillamine has proved to be a strong antioxidant in newborns it was of interest to investigate the effect of the drug in the oxygen radical induced pulmonary hypertension. According to our animal experiments D-penicillamine inhibits the xanthine oxidase induced pulmonary hypertension in piglets. The same inhibitory effect was observed in the prostanoid metabolism. Could D-penicillamine be used in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension in the newborn?