Effect of sildenafil citrate [viagra] on the induced renal damage of adult male albino rats histological and histochemical study

ABSTRACT

Forty adult male albino rats were used in this experiment. They were divided into four groups, first group, [sham-operated untreated rats], second group, [sham-operated rats treated with sildenafil], third group, [nephrectomy untreated group] and fourth group, [nephrectomy treated with sildenafil]. At sacrifice blood samples were drawn for biochemical study and kidney slices were processed for histological and histochemical study. The rats of nephrectomy group treated with sildenafil had a significant lower blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels and remained significantly below the levels found in the untreated group. Histological examination of kidney sections of rats with nephrectomy revealed pronounced tubular degeneration involving the tubular cells with areas of interstitial haemorrhages and cellular infiltration. Many glomeruli were hyperplastic with narrowing of their capsular spaces. Ultrastructurally, tile minor processes of podocytes appeared enlarged, and fused around a thick glomerular basement membrane. The filtration slits were markedly reduced in number. The cells of proximal convoluted tubules showed absence of basal infoldings and thickening of their basement membrane. The nuclei appeared with irregular outline and cytoplasm contained many vacuoles. Mitochondria showed variable and progressive degrees of degeneration. The abnormalities of this group were focal Marked fibrosis was observed around Bowman's capsule, around the glomerular tuft of capillaries and between the tubules. Succinic dehyrogenase reaction was markedly reduced while that of acid phosphatase was markedly increased. Nephrectomised animals treated with sildenafil showed an obvious amelioration in the tubulointerstitial damage and succinic dehyrogenase, acid phosphatase and slight decrease in fibrosis. These observations suggest that currently available phospbodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil had a beneficial value in the treatment of chronic renal disease