title: Sildenafil decreased cardiac cell apoptosis in diabetic mice: reduction of oxidative stress as a possible mechanism.
abstract: Oxidative stress plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of cardiac cell apoptosis in diabetic patients. Sildenafil has been demonstrated to have antioxidant effects. In this study, the effects of sildenafil on diabetes-induced cardiac cell apoptosis and the antioxidant status of diabetic mouse hearts were investigated. Diabetic mice showed lower body weight gains and heart weights compared with control mice, and sildenafil treatment did not increase these parameters in diabetic mice. Although apoptotic rates, caspase-3 enzyme activity, and malondialdehyde levels were significantly higher in diabetic mouse hearts than in controls, they were reduced in diabetic mice after sildenafil treatment. At the end of the first week, we observed no significant differences in antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, GSH-Px, and SOD) in diabetic and control groups, whereas at the end of the second week of sildenafil treatment, antioxidant enzyme activities were higher in the diabetic group. In conclusion, our study indicated that sildenafil was beneficial to hearts of diabetic mice by reducing cardiac cell apoptosis, partially because of its antioxidant effects in the heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 13145-784, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ebrahimi
authors.forename: Hamed
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shafaroodi
authors.forename: Shahrzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asadi
authors.forename: Behtash Ghazi
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Nezami
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghasemi
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahimpour
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashemi
authors.forename: Yousef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doostar
authors.forename: Ahmad Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Dehpour
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011687:Purines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate