Evaluation of the Efficacy of Sildenafil Citrate Following Severe Head Trauma in an Experimental Rat Model

Özet

AIM: To investigate the acute effects of sildenafil citrate in an experimental model of severe head trauma, and to compare it withthe efficacy of mannitol, which is an osmotically active agent frequently used in clinical treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI).MATERIAL and METHODS: Twenty-eight Wistar-derived albino strain female rats were randomized into four groups comprisingseven rats each. These groups were designated as follows: Group I: sham; Group II: TBI; Group III: TBI + mannitol (20% 1 gr/kg, intraperitoneal); and Group IV: TBI + sildenafil citrate (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal). Sections prepared following the tissueprocessing of samples obtained from the right prefrontal cortex and right hippocampal regions of the brains of sacrificed rats werehistopathologically evaluated. Fractionator method via the Stereo Investigator software program (Micro Bright Field) was used tocount the neurons. Pyknotic neuron count and pyknotic / total neuron count were compared between the groups.RESULTS: In the comparison of Group II and IV, pyknotic neuron count (prefrontal; group II: 116.00 ± 30.50, group IV: 80.00 ± 19.47)and pyknotic/ total neuron count (prefrontal; group II: 0,30 ± 0.08, group IV: 0.21 ± 0.02) were significantly lower in Group IV in bothregions (p<0.05). Similarly, in the comparison of Group II and III, the values in Group III were lower in both regions (p<0.05).CONCLUSION: Sildenafil citrate decreases neuronal death in the acute phase and produces similar results with mannitol. Therefore,we believe that sildenafil citrate can be a useful adjunct or alternative agent for the clinical treatment of patients with acute TBI.KEYWORDS: Sildenafil citrate, Mannitol, Severe head trauma, Ra