Modulation of thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis/cirrhosis by sildenafil treatment

Sildenafil citrate is a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor, approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. It enhances nitric-oxide-induced vasodilatation and it promotes angiogenesis. A relationship between angiogenesis and hepatic fibrosis has long been speculated, where the 2 are believed to progress together. In this study, the ability of sildenafil (10 mg.(kg body mass)(-1), orally, once daily) to prevent and also reverse liver fibrosis/cirrhosis experimentally induced by thioacetamide injection (200 mg.kg(-1), intraperitoneal (i.p.), 3 times.week(-1)) in male Sprague-Dawley rats has been investigated. Sildenafil administration, either to prevent or to reverse liver fibrosis/cirrhosis significantly improved the estimated hepatic functions, reduced hepatic hydroxyproline and, in turn, hepatic collagen content, as well as reducing serum levels of the pro-fibrogenic mediator transforming growth factor beta(1). In co-ordination with such improvement, fibrosis grades declined and fibrosis retracted. Herein, the observed results provide evidence for the potential therapeutic efficacy of sildenafil as an antifibrotic agent.