The relationship between erythrocyte ATP content and the presence of atherosclerotic peripheral occlusive vascular disease was investigated. In 20 elderly patients with severe peripheral vascular insufficiency (10 male, 10 female; age 68.8 ± 12.5 years; Mean ± SD) the mean erythrocyte ATP content was 1.57 ± 0.16 mmol/litre. In a sex and age matched group (69.1 ± 9.6 years) with no signs or symptoms of peripheral or myocardial ischaemia, erythrocyte ATP content did not differ significantly (1.49 ± 0.29 mmol/litre). In young healthy volunteers, there was no difference in erythrocyte ATP content between males and females or between cigarette smokers and non-smokers, nor were the values for the young group different from those obtained from the elderly patients. The effect of oxpentifylline administration on erythrocyte ATP levels in patients with peripheral vascular disease was also studied. Administration of oxpentifylline (1.6 g per day in divided doses) over 7 days had no effect on erythrocyte ATP content in 10 patients (5 male, 5 female) with ischaemic lower limbs. These results suggest that measurement of erythrocyte ATP content is unlikely to be a useful index in the assessment of peripheral vascular disease.
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