Chronical treatment with sildenafil causes Achilles tendinopathy in rats

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) Vol. 212; pp. 87 - 92
• Main Authors: Marques, Petrus Pires, Vieira, Cristiano Pedrozo, de Oliveira, Letícia Prado, Pimentel, Edson Rosa, Guerra, Flávia Da Ré
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.11.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Achilles Tendon - drug effects; adverse effects; Animals; Biocatalysts; Birefringence; Collagen; Collagen (type I); Collagen Type I - metabolism; Decorin; Disease Models, Animal; Extracellular matrix; Image analysis; Image processing; Male; polarized light microscopy; protein content; Proteins; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Sildenafil; Sildenafil Citrate - toxicity; Tendinopathy; Tendinopathy - chemically induced; Tendinopathy - metabolism; Tendinopathy - pathology; Tendon; Tendons; Tissue analysis; Vasodilator Agents - toxicity; Tendinopathy; Extracellular matrix; Decorin; Sildenafil; Collagen; Tendon
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2018.09.048

The primary goal was to assess the effects of chronic sildenafil treatment over the Achilles tendons in rats. Animals were divided into two groups, control and sildenafil administration (n = 5). After 60 days, the tendons were subject to biochemical and image analysis to compare tendons between the groups: collagen I and decorin content, polarisation microscopy and birefringence analysis, and tissue zymography. The animals exposed to sildenafil presented a much less organised tendon matrix, with reduced collagen I and non-collagenous protein content and a much higher decorin content. The results observed in the animals can be characterised as tendinopathy, a condition not yet described as a sildenafil side effect.