title: An old drug for a new application: potential benefits of sildenafil in wound healing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several studies have evaluated the effects of sildenafil on the tissue repair and wound healing. In the present review, the impact of sildenafil on the wound healing in all available clinical and non-clinical (experimental) studies has been discussed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials and Cochrane database systematic reviews. Related articles indexed in Google Scholar were also included. Key words used as search terms were 'phosphodiesterase inhibitor', 'sildenafil', 'skin', 'cutaneous', 'skin lesion', 'skin damage', 'wound', and 'wound healing'. No time limitation was considered in this review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 15 animal studies, 7 case reports, and 2 small clinical studies have reported the effects of sildenafil on the wound healing. The effects included skin flaps and grafts, anastomosis, systemic sclerosis and Raynaud's disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The available data support the beneficial effects of sildenafil in improvement of tissue healing in various conditions. This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see "For Readers") may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue's contents page.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shadi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farsaie
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khalili
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karimzadeh
authors.forename: Simin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dashti-Khavidaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011687:Purines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate