Effects of sildenafil on the fetal growth of guinea pigs and their ability to survive induced intrapartum asphyxia.
OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to determine whether sildenafil increased fetal weight and favored fetal tolerance to induced asphyxia at birth in guinea pigs.


METHODS
Twenty guinea pigs were randomly allocated to placebo (n = 10) or sildenafil 50 microg/kg (n = 5) or 500 microg/kg (n = 5), starting from day 35 of gestation to delivery. Fetuses were delivered by cesarean section. Fetal asphyxia was induced by clamping the umbilical cord at birth for 5 minutes.


RESULTS
Sildenafil protected the pups against induced asphyxia at birth in a dose-dependent manner (eg, partial pressure (tension) of carbon dioxide levels were 75.9 +/- 19.3, 66.9 +/- 18.8, and 54.8 +/- 13.0 in the control and low- and high-dose sildenafil groups, respectively). The high-dose sildenafil group of piglets gained 1.5 times more body weight.


CONCLUSIONS
In guinea pigs, low doses of sildenafil administered from day 35 to the end of gestation favored fetal tolerability to induced intrapartum asphyxia. High doses of sildenafil increased fetal weight.
Sánchez-Aparicio
Pedro
P
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
Mota-Rojas
Daniel
D
Nava-Ocampo
Alejandro A
AA
Trujillo-Ortega
Maria Elena
ME
Alfaro-Rodríguez
Alfonso
A
Arch
Emilio
E
Alonso-Spilsbury
María
M
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D020567:Fetal Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011336:Probability; D011687:Purines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011897:Random Allocation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate