title: Sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, attenuates diabetic nephropathy in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study evaluates the possible mechanism of sildenafil citrate (SIL) for the attenuation of renal failure in diabetic nephropathic (DN) animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetic nephropathy was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg, i.p.) and confirmed by assessing the blood and urine biochemical parameters on the 28th day of its induction. The selected DN animals were treated with glimepiride (0.5 mg/kg, p.o.) and SIL (2.5 mg/kg, p.o.) for a period of 6 weeks. Biochemical parameters in blood and urine were estimated after the 29th and 70th day of the protocol for the estimation of the effect of SIL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant alterations in the blood and urine biochemical parameters in STZ-treated groups which confirmed DN. There was a significant decrease in the triglyceride level in the SIL-only-treated group on the 70th day of the protocol. The histopathology study also suggested that SIL treatment results in the improvement in the podocyte count in DN animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study concludes that SIL improves the renal function by decreasing the triglyceride level and improving the podocyte count in DN animals.
authors: Alok Shiomurti
authors: AS
authors: Tripathi
authors: Papiya Mitra
authors: PM
authors: Mazumder
authors: Anil Vilasrao
authors: AV
authors: Chandewar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050199:Podocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013311:Streptozocin; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds; D014280:Triglycerides; D013311:Streptozocin; C057619:glimepiride; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate