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Biomedical subjects

Hong Shen

Publications and source records attributed to Hong Shen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Immune complex induced rat liver fibrosis model by intraperitoneal injection of human serum albumin].

BACKGROUND: To establish an immune complex induced rat liver fibrosis model by intraperitoneal injection of human serum albumin (HSA). METHODS: Male Wistar rats, weighting 110-120 g, were sensitized with HSA by subcutaneous injections at different sites for 4 shots at intervals of 14, 10 and 10 days. Ten days after the fourth injection, the peritoneal booster dose of HSA was administrated to rats twice weekly for 8 weeks with an initial dose of 5 mg, and progressive increase to 20 mg. Liver biopsy was performed at the beginning of HSA booster, 15, 30, 60 days after HSA booster, and 30, 60, 90, 120 days after discontinuation of HSA booster, respectively. Liver samples were examined for histological changes and liver hydroxyproline (HyP) was measured by biochemical method. Fibrosis serum markers hyaluronate acid (HA) and laminin (LN) were determined by RIA method. RESULTS: After intraperitoneal administration of HSA, the degree of liver pathological changes, the liver Hyp content and serum HA and LN increased (P<0.05). The longer the HSA administrated, the higher the liver pathological change degree (P<0.05) and the levels of liver Hyp and serum HA (P<0.01). After discontinuation of HSA, the levels of serum HA and liver Hyp decreased significantly (P<0.01) but were still significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01). The liver fibrosis formation rate was 100% and the fibrosis lasted more than 120 days. CONCLUSION: Intraperitoneal administration of HSA to make rat immune complex induced liver fibrosis model is convenient with high liver fibrosis formation rate and long fibrosis lasting time. The model may be used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of antifibrotic drugs.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Histopathology analysis of microemboli after thrombolysis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes in fibrin of microemboli in micro-embolism soon after thrombolysis, in order to provide a theoretical basis for micro-thrombolytic therapy. METHODS: Thirty adult male SD rats weighing (180+/-10)g were randomized into five groups: 5, 30, 60 and 90 minutes groups after micro-thromboembolization and the control group. Rat cremasteric artery was embolized with photochemical method, and micro-thrombi were produced after thrombolysis by staphylokinase. The levels of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) were immunohistochemically determined, and taken as the markers of fibrin dissolution. RESULTS: Fibrin was observed in pathologic sections as well as fibrinolytic markers t-PA and PAI in immunohistochemical sections. The levels of t-PA were found to be reduced while that of PAI increased gradually with passage of time. CONCLUSION: Fibrin is one of the main constituents of microthrombi soon after thrombolysis. The content of fibrous emboli increases after microembolization with the passage of time. Thrombolysis plays an important role in the treatment of "no reflow phenomenon".

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Experimental study of effects of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor on apoptosis of hypoxic myocardial cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor on apoptosis of hypoxic myocardial cells in vitro. METHODS: The myocardial cells were obtained from new-born Wistar rats, and were dispersed to single cell with trypsin. The cells in 4th-6th passages were randomly divided into 24 samples (every sample contained 1 x 10(5) cells): normal control group, hypoxic myocardial cells control group; hypoxic myocardial cells+NS-398 (20 micromol/L) and hypoxic myocardial cells+aspirin (100 microg/L). During culture, oxygen was replaced by N(2), and the cells were cultivated in 5% CO(2)+95% N(2) at 37 centigrade for 6 hours. Either interventional medicine or same amount of dimethyl sulphoxide was added to the cells 30 minutes before hypoxia. The expression of COX-1 and COX-2 in cultured myocardial cells in vitro was examined with Western blot. The apoptosis percentage of cells in each group was examined with flow cytometry. After centrifuging the culture medium under low temperature, 6-keto-prostaglandin F(1alpha) (6-keto-PGF(1alpha)) and thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) were determined with radioimmunoassay (RIA). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the expression of COX-1 among the groups. The expression of COX-2 was higher in all acute hypoxic myocardial cells groups compared with the control group. Neither aspirin nor NS-392 inhibited the expression of COX-2. The positive percentage of apoptosis of cultured myocardial cells ranked as follow: hypoxic+NS-398 group, hypoxic +aspirin group, hypoxic control group and normal control group. The differences of apoptosis rate between hypoxic+NS-398 group and other groups were significant (all P<0.05). The levels of TXB(2) in each group of cell medium ranked in the following order: normal control group, hypoxic +NS-398 group, hypoxic+aspirin group and hypoxic control group. The difference of TXB(2) level between hypoxic+NS-398 group and hypoxic control group was significant(P<0.05). The levels of 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) in each culture medium ranked in the following order: normal control group, hypoxic+aspirin group, hypoxic+NS-398 group and hypoxic control group. The difference between hypoxic+NS-398 group and hypoxic control group was significant (P<0.05). The ratio of TXB(2)/6-keto-PGF(1alpha) showed no significant difference (P>0.05) among groups. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that acute hypoxia could directly induce cultured myocardial cells to express COX-2, but do not effect expression of COX-1. Hypoxia could elevate the level of 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) and TXB(2) in culture medium. COX-2 inhibitor (NS-398) could lessen the elevation, but it could not change the ratio between TXB(2) and 6-keto PGF(1alpha). NS-398 could increase apoptosis percentage of hypoxic myocardial cells in vitro, and the effect is independent of other inflammatory cells.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed2006

Epidemiological investigation of human papillomavirus infection in men attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Hangzhou area.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in men attending a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic in Hangzhou area. METHODS: Male subjects (n=375) aged 18-70 years, attending the STD clinic were recruited. Urethral swabs were assessed for HPV DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the consensus primers MY09/11. HPV genotypes of positive PCR products were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphisms and direct sequence analysis. RESULTS: Of the 375 swabs collected, 305 (81.3%) yielded sufficient DNA for the subsequent HPV analysis. Among the 305 subjects, the prevalence of HPV was 13.8%. Nononcogenic HPV types were found in 8.5% (26/305) of subjects, oncogenic types in 4.3% (13/305), and multiple types in 1.0% (3/305). The prevalence of HPV infection was higher in subjects from urban area than in those from rural area (P < 0.05). The prevalence was also higher in those who received fewer years of education (P < 0.05) and those who had more sex partners (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HPV infection among men at high risk is not uncommon. The detection rate of HPV DNA is significantly related to some sociodemographic factors, such as residence, educational level and the number of sex partners.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy].

OBJECTIVE: To describe and introduce a new technique for percutaneous dilational tracheostomy without the aid of a bronchoscope. METHODS: Ten patients who underwent rotating dilation tracheostomy with percutwist set were prospectively studied. The time needed for the procedure, the grading of the difficulty, the amount of bleeding, and the complications for the procedure were evaluated. All procedures were performed without the aid of a bronchoscope. RESULTS: During the operations, blood pressure, ECG parameters were stable. One patient had short period of intraoperative oxygen desaturation. The mean operating time was 6.2 minutes with a range of 3 to 10 minutes. Eight procedures were performed without any difficulty, 2 procedures were performed with some difficulties which could be managed by the surgeon. Six patients had been examined under fibrobronchoscopy within one week postoperatively, no posterior tracheal wall injuries were found. One patient had peristomal bleeding after the operation, one patient had mild infection of the tracheostoma. There were no life threatening complications attributable to this technique. CONCLUSIONS: Controlled rotating dilation is a simple, rapid and safe bedside procedure. In the absence of bronchoscopic guidance, the procedure can be safely performed with precautions.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

[Diagnosis and surgical management of metastatic diseases in retropharyngeal space].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the symptoms and surgical management results of metastatic disease in the retropharyngeal space. METHODS: Six patients with malignant tumors were collected, in which enlarged lymph nodes presented both in neck and retropharyngeal space. They consisted of two supraglottic carcinoma (T3N2MO), one thyroid carcinoma (TXN2MO), one nasal melanoma (TXN2MO), one oropharyngeal carcinoma (T2N2M0) and one hypopharyngeal carcinoma (T3N2MO). The enlarged nodes in the retropharyngeal space were measured with CT and (or) MRI, which ranged from 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter. Based on the control of the primary and neck disease, the mass in the retropharyngeal space was dissected and sent for pathologic exam separately. RESULTS: Metastasis in the retropharyngeal space was pathologically proved in all of them, along with the involved internal jugular lymph nodes of 3/15, 3/17, 4/19, 5/19, 6/20, and 6/23, respectively. No serious complications occurred, such as fistula and central nerve damage. The patient with hypopharyngeal carcinoma died of lung metastasis 2 years after operation. The one suffering nasal malignant melanoma was out of follow-up in the 14th months. The patient with oropharyngeal carcinoma locally relapsed in the 18th months and died at the 24th months postoperatively. The rest was alive with tumor free within the follow-up period from 2 to 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: CT or Mifi are the mainstay of diagnosis of the metastatic disease in the retropharyngeal space and can he surgically controlled with safety.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Thrombocytopenia after therapeutic hypothermia in severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and significance of thrombocytopenia after therapeutic hypothermia in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: Ninety-six inpatients with severe brain injury were randomized into three groups: SBC (selective brain cooling) group (n=24), MSH (mild systemic hypothermia) group (n=30), and control (normothermia) group (n=42). The platelet counts and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Thrombocytopenia was present in 18 (75%), 23 (77%) and 15 (36%) patients in SBC group, MSH group and control group, respectively (P<0.01). Thrombocytopenia, in which the minimum platelet count was seen 3 days after hypothermia, showed no significant difference between SBC and MSH group (P>0.05). Most platelet counts (37 cases, 90%) in hypothermia group were returned to normal level after 1 to 2 days of natural rewarming. The platelet count in SBC group reduced by 16%, 27% and 29% at day 1, 3 and 5 respectively compared with the baseline value. Good recovery (GOS score 4-5) rate of thrombocytopenia 1 year after injury for hypothermia group (17 cases, 37%) was significantly lower than that of control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic hypothermia increases the incidence of thrombocytopenia in severe TBI, and patients with thrombocytopenia after therapeutic hypothermia are associated with unfavorable neurological prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Quantitative study of thyroid transcription factor-1 protein expression in lung carcinoma cell nucleus by tissue microarray].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) expression in normal human adult type II alveolar epithelial cells, embryonic pneumocytes, lung carcinoma cells and lymph node metastases of lung cancer. METHODS: Lung carcinoma tissue microarray was constructed containing 765 cores of 20 normal adult lung tissues, 15 embryonic lung tissues, 100 lung carcinomas and 55 corresponding lymph node metastases. TTF-1 protein expression on the microarray was detected by immunohistochemical SP method using TTF-1 monoclonal antibody and assessed quantitatively with Leica Q500MC image analysis system. RESULTS: The number TTF-1 positive units (PU) was smaller in the nuclei of embryonic pneumocytes than in those of normal adult type II alveolar epithelial cells (P<0.001). The nuclei of lung carcinoma cells had smaller TTF-1 PU than normal adult type II alveolar epithelial cells and embryonic pneumocyte nuclei (P<0.001). The lung adenocarcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma cell nuclei had greater TTF-1 PU than squamous cell carcinoma and large cell lung carcinoma cell nuclei (P<0.001). TTF-1 PU was greater in squamous cell carcinoma cell nuclei than in large cell lung carcinoma cell nuclei (P<0.001). In lung adenocarcinoma, squamous cell lung carcinoma and large cell lung carcinoma, TTF-1 PU was greater in the cancerous cell nuclei of lymph node metastases than in the corresponding primary carcinoma cell nuclei (P<0.001, P<0.001, and P<0.05, respectively). In small cell lung carcinoma, TTF-1 PU of the cancerous cell nuclei of lymph node metastases was similar to that of primary carcinomas (P>0.05). TTF-1 PU was greater in lung carcinoma with lymph node metastases than in those without metastalsis (P<0.001). TTF-1 PU of the cell nuclei was not associated with the tumor growth pattern, differentiation and patients' gender (P>0.05), but was greater in TNM stage II-IV than in stage I (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The amount of TTF-1 in the cell nuclei decreases in the order of normal adult type II alveolar epithelial cells, embryonic pneumocytes and lung carcinoma cells. TTF-1 expression is higher in adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma and lower in squamous carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Stronger TTF-1 expression is associated with greater likeliness of lung carcinoma metastatie, and can be an important hallmark for metastasis potential of lung adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and large cell carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2005

PEPT2 (Slc15a2)-mediated unidirectional transport of cefadroxil from cerebrospinal fluid into choroid plexus.

Cefadroxil is a cephalosporin antibiotic used in the treatment of infection. However, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of cefadroxil and other aminocephalosporins are not adequate for the treatment of bacterial meningitis. To evaluate the relevance of PEPT2 in affecting the exposure of aminocephalosporins in brain, we investigated the transport properties of cefadroxil at the blood-CSF interface using primary-cultured epithelial cells and isolated whole tissues of choroid plexus. Our results indicated that cefadroxil was preferentially taken up from the apical as opposed to basal side of the monolayer (5-fold), and its apical uptake was stimulated by an inwardly directed proton gradient. The concentration-dependent apical uptake of cefadroxil was characterized by a high-affinity/low-capacity transport system (Km = 39.0 +/- 22.7 microM; Vmax = 22.9 +/- 6.6 pmol/mg/min) and a nonsaturable component (Kd = 0.15 +/- 0.01 microl/mg/min); in contrast, only a nonsaturable component was found for the basal uptake of cefadroxil (Kd = 0.14 +/- 0.01 microl/mg/min). The apical-to-basal transepithelial transport of 2 microM cefadroxil was greater than its basal-to-apical transport, but no differences were observed in directionality when 5 mM concentrations of cefadroxil were studied. Moreover, the cellular efflux of cefadroxil was not saturable in either direction (i.e., to apical or basal side). Finally, no differences were observed in the choroid plexus tissue efflux of 2 microM cefadroxil from wild-type and PEPT2 null mice. These findings demonstrate that PEPT2 has an important role in limiting the exposure of cefadroxil in CSF. Located at the apical membrane of choroid plexus epithelium, PEPT2 acts in a unidirectional (as opposed to bidirectional) manner in transporting cefadroxil from CSF into the cell.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Role and relevance of peptide transporter 2 (PEPT2) in the kidney and choroid plexus: in vivo studies with glycylsarcosine in wild-type and PEPT2 knockout mice.

The strategic localization of peptide transporter 2 (PEPT2), a proton-coupled oligopeptide transporter, to the apical membrane of epithelial cells in the kidney and choroid plexus suggests that it plays an important role in the disposition of peptides/mimetics in the body. Therefore, the in vivo significance of PEPT2 was investigated in wild-type and PEPT2 null mice following an i.v. bolus dose (0.05 micromol/g body weight) of [14C]glycylsarcosine (GlySar). In PEPT2 null mice, the clearance (total and renal) of GlySar was markedly increased (2-fold), resulting in concomitantly lower systemic concentrations. In addition, renal reabsorption was almost abolished, and GlySar was eliminated by glomerular filtration. Of the 46% of GlySar reabsorbed in wild-type mice, PEPT2 accounted for 86% and PEPT1 accounted for 14% of reabsorbed substrate. Analysis of GlySar uptake in kidney sections revealed that PEPT2 was primarily localized in the outer medullary region. Wild-type mice also had greater choroid plexus concentrations of GlySar and a 5-fold greater choroid plexus/cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ratio as compared with null mice at 60 min. Null mice exhibited a greater CSF/blood ratio at 60 min (0.9 versus 0.2) and area under the curve (AUC)(CSF)/AUC(blood) ratio over 60 min (0.45 versus 0.12), indicating that PEPT2 significantly reduces the exposure of GlySar in CSF. Our in vivo results demonstrate that PEPT2 is the predominant peptide transporter in kidney and that it acts as an efflux transporter in choroid plexus. Thus, PEPT2 may have profound effects on the sensitivity and/or toxicity of peptides and peptide-like drugs.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effect of charge regulation on steric mass-action equilibrium for the ion-exchange adsorption of proteins.

A thermodynamic formalism is developed for incorporating the effects of charge regulation on the ion-exchange adsorption of proteins under mass-overloaded conditions as described by the steric mass-action (SMA) isotherm. To accomplish this, the pH titration behavior of a protein and the associated adsorption equilibrium of the various charged forms of a protein are incorporated into a model which also accounts for the steric hindrance of salt counterions caused by protein adsorption. For the case where the protein is dilute, the new model reduces to the protein adsorption model described recently by the authors which accounts for charge regulation. Similarly, the new model reduces to the steric mass-action isotherm developed by Brooks and Cramer which applies to mass-overloaded conditions for the case where charge regulation is ignored so that the protein has a fixed charge. Calculations using the new model were found to agree with experimental data for the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on an anion-exchange column packing when using reasonable physical properties. The new model was also used to develop an improved theoretical criterion for determining the conditions required for an adsorbed species to displace a protein in displacement chromatography when the pH is near the protein pI.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2005

Citrate secretion coupled with the modulation of soybean root tip under aluminum stress. Up-regulation of transcription, translation, and threonine-oriented phosphorylation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase.

The aluminum (Al)-induced secretion of citrate has been regarded as an important mechanism for Al resistance in soybean (Glycine max). However, the mechanism of how Al induces citrate secretion remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the regulatory role of plasma membrane H+-ATPase on the Al-induced secretion of citrate from soybean roots. Experiments performed with plants grown in full nutrient solution showed that Al-induced activity of plasma membrane H+-ATPase paralleled secretion of citrate. Vanadate and fusicoccin, an inhibitor and an activator, respectively, of plasma membrane H+-ATPase, exerted inhibitory and stimulatory effects on the Al-induced secretion of citrate. Higher activity of plasma membrane H+-ATPase coincided with more citrate secretion in Al-resistant than Al-sensitive soybean cultivars. These results suggested that the effects of Al stress on citrate secretion were mediated via modulation of the activity of plasma membrane H+-ATPase. The relationship between the Al-induced secretion of citrate and the activity of plasma membrane H+-ATPase was further demonstrated by analysis of plasma membrane H+-ATPase transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). When plants were grown on Murashige and Skoog medium containing 30 microM Al (9.1 microM Al3+ activity), transgenic plants exuded more citrate compared with wild-type Arabidopsis. Results from real-time reverse transcription-PCR and immunodetection analysis indicated that the increase of plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity by Al is caused by transcriptional and translational regulation. Furthermore, plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity and expression were higher in an Al-resistant cultivar than in an Al-sensitive cultivar. Al activated the threonine-oriented phosphorylation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Taken together, our results demonstrated that up-regulation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity was associated with the secretion of citrate from soybean roots.

Aluminum↗
PubMed2005

Generation of dendritic cells from rabbit bone marrow mononuclear cell cultures supplemented with hGM-CSF and hIL-4.

The in vitro generation of dendritic cells (DCs) from either blood or bone marrow has been accomplished for humans and a number of other species. This ability has facilitated the opportunity to test the efficacy of DC vaccines in various tumor models. The cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) model is the most clinically relevant animal model for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated carcinogenesis. The CRPV model has been used to test various preventative and therapeutic vaccination strategies, and the availability of rabbit DCs would further expand its utility. However, to date, rabbit DCs have not been phenotypically and/or functionally characterized. Here we show that DCs can be generated in vitro from rabbit bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) cultured in the presence of the human cytokines GM-CSF and IL-4 and matured with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These cells show upregulation of MHC class II and CD86, as well as downregulation of CD14, do not have non-specific esterase activity, are able to perform receptor-mediated endocytosis, and are potent stimulators of allogeneic T cell proliferation in mixed lymphocyte reactions. The ability to generate rabbit DCs makes it possible to test the efficacy of DC vaccination in the prevention and treatment of CRPV-induced lesions, which may provide useful preclinical data regarding the use of DC vaccines for HPV-associated lesions, including cervical cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Synthesis and screening of a small library of proline-based biodendrimers for use as delivery agents.

A small library of defined peptide dendrimers based on polyproline sequences was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of generating a new type of polymeric agent for therapeutic use. Structural modifications to dendrimer surfaces further enriched the diversity of the library. Data show that the prolinerich dendrimers can be internalized in human epithelial (HeLa) cells, demonstrating the importance of the dendrimeric motif. The promising results described herein suggest that controlled modification of the dendrimer surface should eventually yield proline dendrimers with therapeutic potential.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Increased expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in rat liver after common bile duct ligation.

Liver disease associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been increasingly diagnosed and recognized as one of the major causes of death in CF during recent years. The autosomal-recessive disorder of CF results from mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) that encodes the CFTR protein. Due to its existence and multifunction in biliary epithelial, over- or less-expression of CFTR in the liver may play an important role in the development of CF liver disease (CFLD). The aim of current study is to investigate the expression of CFTR in the liver of common bile duct ligated (BDL) rats. After BDL, there was an increase in the abundance of CFTR mRNA and protein. Immunohistochemical staining also demonstrated an increased intensity of CFTR staining in the liver tissue section. In conclusion, there is an increased expression of CFTR in the liver after common BDL.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Inclusion of Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus proviral elements markedly increases lentivirus vector pseudotyping efficiency.

Retroviral pseudotyping for gene transfer applications endeavors to alter vector tropism and maintain a suitable titer. We investigated the compatibility of the Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) envelope glycoprotein with the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) vector. A construct consisting of the minimal JSRV env coding region expressed from a standard mammalian expression plasmid generated FIV vector titers of approximately 10(4) TU/ml following standard triple transfection, collection of supernatants, and concentration by centrifuge. Interestingly, retention of the native proviral 5' and 3' flanking regions surrounding the JSRV env resulted in exceptional titers of approximately 10(8) TU/ml following the same viral preparation. To discern the regions necessary to achieve this 10,000-fold increase in titer, additional constructs were designed and tested. Our results indicate that the enhanced vector titer correlates with an increase in steady-state levels of envelope RNA that results from a combination of RNA splicing and stability, leading to increased envelope protein production. Expression of four other glycoproteins in an expression plasmid retaining the enhancing elements from the JSRV proviral sequence increased FIV vector titers from 0- to 100-fold. These novel data demonstrate that optimization of the envelope expression construct can profoundly influence titers for lentivirus vectors.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effects of sildenafil citrate on hepatic function and regeneration in normal and alcohol-fed rats.

Sildenafil citrate is a potent inhibitor of specific phosphodiesterase-5, which mediates metabolism of intracellular second message -- cGMP. Sildenafil citrate has been widely used for erectile dysfunction in men. Moreover, it is known that men with liver diseases have higher rate of erectile dysfunction. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that nitric oxide plays an important role in liver function and regeneration. The present study evaluates effects of sildenafil citrate on hepatic function and regeneration in normal and alcohol-fed rats. In normal rats sildenafil citrate has a trend to improve hepatic function after partial hepatectomy (PHx). Moreover, sildenafil citrate significantly reduces hepatic regenerative activity at the concentration of 5 mg/kg body weight. However, sildenafil had no effects on hepatic function and regeneration of alcohol-fed rats. In general, sildenafil citrate did not induce significant changes in hepatic function and regenerative activity after PHx in normal and alcohol-fed rats, except at concentration of 5 mg/kg sildenafil citrate significantly inhibit hepatic regeneration in normal rats.

3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases↗