Significance of endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of early and delayed radiation enteropathy

Table 1 Potential pharmacological strategies for modulating post-radiation endothelial dysfunction to ameliorate development of radiation enteropathy and some of their respective limitations

Intervention	Major limitation
Platelet aggregation inhibitors	Narrow therapeutic window (bleeding)
Direct thrombin inhibitors	Narrow therapeutic window (bleeding)
Thrombin receptor blockers	Blocks only cellular thrombin effects
Recombinant thrombomodulin	Does not restore endothelial thrombomodulin
Activated protein C	Only partly blocks the effects of preformed thrombin
Statins	Non-specificity
Pentoxifylline	Non-specificity
Vitamin E	Non-specificity and variable efficacy