title: Protective effects of tadalafil on experimental spinal cord injury in rats.
abstract: Tadalafil is a selective inhibitor of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5). Nitric oxide (NO) functions as a retrograde neurotransmitter in the spinal cord, and postsynaptic structures respond to NO by producing cGMP. The concentrations of cGMP in the spinal cord are controlled by the actions of PDE. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the effects of the use of both methylprednisolone and tadalafil on serum and tissue concentrations of NO, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and tissue glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). SCI was induced in Wistar albino rats by dropping a 10 g rod from a 5.0 cm height at T8-10. The 28 rats were randomly divided into four equal groups: tadalafil, methylprednisolone, non-treatment and sham groups. Rats were neurologically tested at 24 hours after trauma. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected and spinal cord tissue samples were harvested for biochemical evaluation. The tissue level of NO was increased in the tadalafil group compared with the non-treatment and methylprednisolone groups (p<0.05). The tissue levels of SOD and GSH-Px did not differ between the groups. Serum levels of NO were higher in the tadalafil group than in the non-treatment group (p<0.05). The increase in serum SOD levels was greater in the tadalafil group than the methylprednisolone group. Serum MDA levels in the tadalafil and methylprednisolone groups tended to be lower than in the non-treatment group (p>0.05). Tissue MDA levels in the tadalafil and methylprednisolone groups tended to be lower than in the non-treatment group and sham groups (p>0.05). Although there was no difference in neurological outcome scores between the tadalafil, methylprednisolone and non-treatment groups (p>0.05), the animals in the tadalafil and methylprednisolone groups tended to have better scores than the non-treatment group. Thus, tadalafil appears to be beneficial in reducing the effects of injury to the spinal cord by increasing tissue levels of NO and serum activity of SOD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Tayfur Ata Sökmen Medical Faculty, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey. yserarslan@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yurdal
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Serarslan
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yönden
authors.forename: Erkin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozgiray
authors.forename: Süleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oktar
authors.forename: Eşref Oğuz
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Güven
authors.forename: Sadik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Söğüt
authors.forename: Nebi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Taşkin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yurtseven
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000187:drug effects; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D000068581:Tadalafil; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D002243:Carbolines; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000077555:Methylprednisolone Acetate; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D000068581:Tadalafil; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione; D008775:Methylprednisolone