The effect of sildenafil on an animal model for ischemic colitis.
BACKGROUND
Sildenafil both enhances vasodilatation by relaxing the smooth muscle in the vessels and inhibits platelet aggregation. We have therefore examined the potential benefits of sildenafil on an animal model for ischemic colitis (IC).


METHODS
Twenty-eight female Wistar albino rats weighing 250-300 g were randomized into three experimental groups as follows: in Group 1, animals were sham operated (n = 8) and received tap water; in Groups 2 and 3, the rats underwent a standardized surgical procedure to induce IC (n = 10 in each group). Group 2 animals served as the controls, receiving only tap water, while Group 3 animals received 10 mg/kg sildenafil per day as a single dose for a 3-day period. All animals were sacrificed 72 h after devascularization. To determine the severity of the ischemia, we scored the macroscopically visible damage, measured the ischemic area and scored the histopathology. Tissue malondialdehyde levels were also evaluated.


RESULTS
The mean area of ischemic changes were 116.80 +/- 189.93 and 0.55 +/- 1.01 mm2 in Group 2 and 3 animals, respectively (p = 0.0001), while the macroscopically mean visible damage score decreased to 0.66 +/- 0.70 (p = 0.0001) for Group 3 animals. The Chiu scores were 0.00, 3.80 +/- 0.91 and 2.66 +/- 1.00 in Group 1, 2 and 3 animals, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between Group 2 and 3 animals (p = 0.017).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the view that sildenafil leads to a improvement in IC due to its well-known effects on the vascular smooth muscle and on the microcirculatory hemodynamics.
Irkorucu
Oktay
O
Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Arastirma ve Uygulama Hastanesi Bashekimligi, Kozlu-Zonguldak 67600, Turkey. oktaytip@yahoo.com
Taşcilar
Oge
O
Cakmak
Guldeniz Karadeniz
GK
Karakaya
Kemal
K
Emre
Ali Ugur
AU
Ucan
Bülent Hamdi
BH
Bahadir
Burak
B
Acikgoz
Serefden
S
Ankarali
Handan
H
Ugurbas
Ebru
E
Comert
Mustafa
M
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011687:Purines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013450:Sulfones / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate