title: Sildenafil (Viagra) prolongs cardiac repolarization by blocking the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current.
abstract: BACKGROUND-Several cases of unexpected death have been reported with sildenafil in patients predisposed to ischemic cardiac events. Although acute episodes of ischemia could account for some of these deaths, we hypothesized that sildenafil may have unsuspected electrophysiological effects predisposing some patients to proarrhythmia. METHODS AND RESULTS-Studies were undertaken in 10 isolated guinea pig hearts that demonstrated prolongation of cardiac repolarization in a reverse use-dependent manner by sildenafil 30 mcmol/L. Action potential duration increased 15% from baseline 117+/-3 to 134+/-2 ms with sildenafil during pacing at 250 ms cycle length, whereas a 6% increase from 99+/-2 to 105+/-2 ms was seen with pacing at 150 ms cycle length. Experiments in human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG)-transfected HEK293 cells (n=30) demonstrated concentration-dependent block of the rapid component (I(Kr)) of the delayed rectifier potassium current: activating current was 50% decreased at 100 mcmol/L. This effect was confirmed using HERG-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, which exhibit no endogenous I(K)-like current. CONCLUSIONS-Sildenafil possesses direct cardiac electrophysiological effects similar to class III antiarrhythmic drugs. These effects are observed at concentrations that may be found in conditions of impaired drug elimination such as renal or hepatic insufficiency, during coadministration of another CYP3A substrate/inhibitor, or after drug overdose and offer a new potential explanation for sudden death during sildenafil treatment.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Cardiologie de Québec, Hôpital Laval, et Facultés de Médecine, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, Québec.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geelen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drolet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rail
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bérubé
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Daleau
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rousseau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cardinal
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: O'Hara
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turgeon
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002304:Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D006224:Cricetinae; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000072237:ERG1 Potassium Channel; D004594:Electrophysiology; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D011687:Purines; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C072312:ERG protein, human; D000072237:ERG1 Potassium Channel; D051638:Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels; C000606913:KCNH2 protein, human; C092509:KCNH6 protein, human; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D015221:Potassium Channels; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000071230:Transcriptional Regulator ERG; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate