Effect of Sildenafil on the Skeletal Muscle Regeneration: An Experimental Study

Objective: Sildenafil is a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor that induces vasodilatation and is currently used in treatment of erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sildenafil on the regenerative activity of skeletal muscle adjacent to the abdominal wall wound in rats. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in Aegean University Faculty of Medicine Animal Research Laboratory between July 2008 and August 2008, and was performed with adult female Wistar-Albino rats. A control group (n= 50) was fed on a standard laboratory diet until 12 h before surgery. The study group (n= 50) was administered sildenafil therapy (10 mg/kg once a day for 10 days) through an orogastric tube. Each rat was anesthetized, and a 4-cm-long midline laparotomy was performed. Ten animals from each group were killed at postoperative days (PODs) 4, 7, 14, 21, and 35. The abdominal incision wounds and surrounding tissues were examined histologically. Results: Regenerative capacity of the abdominal muscle in sildenafil treatment group was significantly higher than the control group and the difference was statistically significant (p <= 0.01). Conclusion: This study showed that sildenafil augmented the regenerative activity of the skeletal muscle. If this result can be reproduced by other studies, sildenafil may be beneficial therapy for degenerative muscle diseases.