This literature review aims at presenting the main possibilities for the clinical application of cilostazol in the central nervous system. Cilostazol, a selective phosphodiesterase type III inhibitor, increases adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate levels on platelets, endothelial and smooth muscle cells, having vasodilatory, antiplatelet and antithrombotic properties. Currently, it is the first-choice drug for intermittent claudication, due to peripheral occlusive vascular disease. In addition, there is evidence showing that cilostazol is efficacious in cerebral atherosclerotic process, resulting in increase of blood flow and volume and preventing infarctions, especially lacunar and recurrent, since it reduces cellular death due to apoptosis and oxidative stress in white and gray substances.Keywords: Phosphodiesterase inhibitors, cerebral infarction, cerebral blood flow, cilostazol.
RESUMOEsta revis•o bibliogr‚fica objetiva expor estas pesquisas sobre as a€ƒes do cilostazol no sistema nervoso central. O cilostazol " uma droga que demonstrou exercer inibi€•o seletiva e potente da fosfodiesterase tipo III, ocasionando o aumento de adenosina c…clica -3',5'-monofosfato nas plaquetas, nas c"lulas endoteliais e nas c"lulas musculares lisas, sendo classificado como vasodilatador, antiagregante plaquet‚rio e antitromb ‡tico. ˆ o f‚rmaco de primeira escolha na claudica€•o intermitente devido ‰ doen€a arterial obstrutiva perif"rica. Al"m disso, h‚ evidŠncias de que o cilostazol " eficaz no processo ateroscler ‡tico cerebral, promovendo aumento do fluxo e volume sang‹…neos e prevenindo infartos, especialmente lacunares e recorrentes, por diminuir a morte celular devido ‰ apoptose e ao estresse oxidativo nas substOEncias branca e parda.Palavras-chave: Inibidores de fosfodiesterase, infarto cerebral, fluxo sang‹…neo cerebral, cilostazol.