title: Sildenafil protects against 3-nitropropionic acid neurotoxicity through the modulation of calpain, CREB, and BDNF.
abstract: In this study we tested whether phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, sildenafil and vardenafil, would afford protection against 3-nitropropionic acid (3NP), which produces striatal lesions that closely mimic some of the neuropathological features of Huntington's Disease (HD). The neurotoxin was given over 5 days by constant systemic infusion using osmotic minipumps. Animals treated with PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil or vardenafil) showed improved neurologic scores, reduced the loss of striatal DARPP-32 protein levels and lesion volumes, and decreased calpain activation produced by 3NP. This protective effect was independent of changes in 3NP-induced succinate dehydrogenase inhibition. Furthermore, striatal p-CREB levels along with the expression of BDNF were significantly increased in sildenafil-treated rats. In summary, PDE5 inhibitors protected against 3NP-induced striatal degeneration by reducing calpain activation and by promoting survival pathways. These data encourage further evaluation of PDE5 inhibitors in transgenic mouse models of HD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puerta
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hervias
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barros-Miñones
authors.forename: Joaquin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ricobaraza
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuadrado-Tejedor
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Osta
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aguirre
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002154:Calpain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D051937:Dopamine and cAMP-Regulated Phosphoprotein 32 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011422:Propionates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011687:Purines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D013450:Sulfones / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D051937:Dopamine and cAMP-Regulated Phosphoprotein 32; D009498:Neurotoxins; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011422:Propionates; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D002154:Calpain; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid