Effect of sildenafil in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of sildenafil, administered prior to renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), by scintigraphy and histopathological evaluation in rats.


METHODS
Twenty-four rats were divided randomly into two groups. They received 0.1 ml of 99mTechnetium-etilenodicisteine intravenous, and a baseline (initial) renal scintigraphy was performed. The rats underwent 60 minutes of ischemia by left renal artery clamping. The right kidney was not manipulated. The sildenafil group (n=12) received orally 1 mg/kg of sildenafil suspension 60 minutes before ischemia. Treatment with saline 0.9% in the control group (n=12). Half of the rats was assessed after 24 hours and half after seven days I/R, with new renal scintigraphy to study differential function. After euthanasia, kidneys were removed and subjected to histopathological examination. For statistical evaluation, Student t and Mann-Whitney tests were used.


RESULTS
In the control group rats, the left kidneys had significant functional deficit, seven days after I/R, whose scintigraphic pattern was consistent with acute tubular necrosis, compared with the initial scintigraphy (p<0.05). Sildenafil treatment resulted in better differential function of the left kidneys 24h after reperfusion, compared with controls. Histopathologically, the left kidney of control rats (24 hours after I/R) showed a higher degree of cellular necrosis when compared with the sildenafil treated rats (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Sildenafil had a protective effect in rat kidneys subjected to normothermic I/R, demonstrated by scintigraphy and histomorphometry.
UFRN, Natal, Brazil.
Paulo José de
PJ
Medeiros
Arthur
A
Villarim Neto
Francisco Pignataro
FP
Lima
Italo Medeiros
IM
Azevedo
Layra Ribeiro de Sousa
LR
Leão
Aldo Cunha
AC
Medeiros
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011687:Purines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013450:Sulfones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate