title: Sildenafil treatment attenuates ventricular remodeling in an experimental model of aortic regurgitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently there is no reliable medical treatment for aortic regurgitation (AR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine Sprague-Dawley rats underwent creation of AR or sham operation. Treated rats were assigned to early or late institution of sildenafil therapy (100 mg/kg/day) for a total of 10 weeks. Treatment-effects were measured by serial echocardiography, invasive hemodynamic measurements, and tissue analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rats assigned to early treatment developed less remodeling than untreated rats. Thus, left ventricular (LV) dilation was blunted by sildenafil with end-systolic diameter being significantly smaller (6.6 ± 0.4 vs. 7.7 ± 0.4 mm, respectively, p < 0.05). Also, LV wall thickness was significantly decreased in treated rats compared to controls (2.23 ± 0.08 vs. 2.16 ± 0.05 mm, p < 0.01). Fractional shortening was improved by treatment (p < 0.05). Myocardial fibrosis was borderline decreased by treatment (p = 0.09). Akt was increased in treated compared to controls (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sildenafil slightly inhibits LV remodeling and improves fractional shortening in rats with AR when treatment is initiated early.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Division of Cardiology, Baltimore, MD USA ; Department of Cardiology, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Niels Andersensvej 65, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9299-0889
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eskesen
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Division of Cardiology, Baltimore, MD USA ; Department of Cardiology, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Niels Andersensvej 65, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Niels Thue
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Division of Cardiology, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Veronica L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Dimaano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Niels Andersensvej 65, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fritz-Hansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Aalborg Hospital, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sogaard
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Division of Cardiology, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chakir
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Division of Cardiology, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steenbergen
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Division of Cardiology, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kass
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Division of Cardiology, Baltimore, MD USA.
authors.forename: Theodore P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Abraham
keywords: Animal models; Aortic regurgitation; Echocardiography; Phosphodiesterase