Mechanism of action
Sildenafil is an oral therapy for erectile dysfunction. In the natural setting, i.e. with sexual stimulation, it restores impaired erectile function by increasing blood flow to the penis. The physiological mechanism responsible for the erection of the penis involves the release of nitric oxide (NO) in the corpus cavernosum during sexual stimulation. Nitric oxide then activates the enzyme guanylate cyclase, which results in increased levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), producing smooth muscle relaxation in the corpus cavernosum and allowing inflow of blood. Sildenafil is a potent and selective inhibitor of cGMP specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) in the corpus cavernosum, where PDE5 is responsible for degradation of cGMP. Sildenafil has a peripheral site of action on erections. Sildenafil has no direct relaxant effect on isolated human corpus cavernosum but potently enhances the relaxant effect of NO on this tissue. When the NO/cGMP pathway is activated, as occurs with sexual stimulation, inhibition of PDE5 by sildenafil results in increased corpus cavernosum levels of cGMP. Therefore sexual stimulation is required in order for sildenafil to produce its intended beneficial pharmacological effects. Moreover, apart from the presence of PDE5 in the corpus cavernosum of the penis, PDE5 is also present in the pulmonary vasculature. Sildenafil, therefore, increases cGMP within pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells resulting in relaxation. In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, this can lead to vasodilation of the pulmonary vascular bed and, to a lesser degree, vasodilatation in the systemic circulation.
Sildenafil is a selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5), an enzyme responsible for degrading cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in the corpus cavernosum. By diminishing the effect of PDE5, sildenafil facilitates the effect of nitric oxide during sexual stimulation; cGMP levels increase, smooth muscle relaxes, and blood flows into the corpus cavernosum, producing an erection. Without sexual stimulation, sildenafil has no effect on erections.
It has been extensively demonstrated that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is implicated is several physiological and pathological conditions. In particular, it has been shown that H2S causes relaxation in human penile tissues and inhibits phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity in vessels. Beside sildenafil increases H2S generation in human bladder and tadalafil in myocardial tissues. Therefore, /the/ aim /of the study/ was to demonstrate the link between H2S and PDE-5 in mice corpus cavernosum tissues. ... The effects of sildenafil (10 uM, 0.5 hr); PDE-5 inhibitor, on H2S production as well as the H2S -induced relaxations in mice penile tissues /was investigated/. Penile tissues from CD1 mouse corpus cavernosum (MCC) were used. Functional studies were performed by myograph in Krebs solution. Western blot analysis was performed in order to evaluate CBS and CSE expression and methylene blue assay for measurement of H2S levels. In order to investigate functional significance of H2S on sildenafil-induced augmentation of endothelial relaxation in MCC the sildenafil effect was evaluated on acetylcholine (ACh), L-cysteine and NaHS-induced relaxations in presence or not of CSE enzyme inhibitor PPG (10 uM, 0.5 hr). In order to achieve this issue the H2S production in MCC tissues was also evaluated by incubating the penile tissue with sildenafil in presence or absence of the CSE inhibitor PPG (10 uM, 0.5 hr) Both CBS and CSE were expressed in MCC and the enzymes efficiently converted L-cysteine into H2S. Further /it was shown/ that sildenafil caused a significant increase in H2S production and this augmentation was reversed by CSE inhibition. /It was/ found that sildenafil induced an increase in both ACh and L-cysteine-induced relaxations and these augmentations reversed by CSE inhibitor PPG in MCC pre-contracted with phenylephrine (3.10-5M). Beside sildenafil did not significantly increase the NaHS -induced relaxations. Therefore /it was/ suggested that both gaseous transmitters NO and H2S affect sildenafil action. In particular ... results demonstrate that sildenafil effect is partially mediated by H2S pathway. Thus, H2S signaling may represent a new mechanism involved in the effect of sildenafil on erectile dysfunction.
Sildenafil citrate (Viagra), a cGMP-selective phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor, is widely used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. In contrast to its well established action on erectile dysfunction, little is known on the action of sildenafil on cGMP/cAMP signaling and testicular steroidogenesis. This study was designed to assess the effects of prolonged sildenafil treatment on NO synthase-dependent signaling and steroidogenic function of rat Leydig cells. Male adult rats were treated with Viagra (1.25 mg/kg body wt) daily for 30 days. /Studies indicate/, serum testosterone and ex vivo testosterone production significantly increased in sildenafil-treated animals. Human chorionic gonadotropin-stimulated testosterone production and cAMP accumulation were also significantly higher in Leydig cells obtained from sildenafil-treated rats. The expression of soluble guanylyl cyclase (GUCY1) subunits (Gucy1a1, Gucy1b1) significantly increased; cAMP-specific Pde4a, cGMP-specific Pde6c, and dual Pde1c and Nos2 were inhibited and expression of Nos3, protein kinase G1 (Pkg1), and Pde5 remained unchanged. Treatment of purified Leydig cells with NO donor caused a dose-dependent increase in both testosterone and cGMP production. Testosterone and cGMP production was significantly higher in Leydig cells obtained from sildenafil-treated animals. The stimulatory effect of NO donor was significantly enhanced by saturating concentrations of hCG in both Leydig cells obtained from control and sildenafil-treated animals. Occurrence of mature steroidogenic acute regulatory protein also increased in sildenafil treated animals in accord with increased cAMP and cGMP production. In summary, inhibition of PDE activity during prolonged sildenafil treatment increased serum testosterone level and Leydig cells' steroidogenic capacity by coordinated stimulatory action on cAMP and cGMP signaling pathway.
Pharmacodynamics
In vitro studies have shown that sildenafil is selective for phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5). Its effect is more potent on PDE5 than on other known phosphodiesterases. In particular, there is a 10-times selectivity over PDE6 which is involved in the phototransduction pathway in the retina. There is an 80-times selectivity over PDE1, and over 700-times over PDE 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. And finally, sildenafil has greater than 4,000-times selectivity for PDE5 over PDE3, the cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase isoform involved in the control of cardiac contractility. In eight double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover studies of patients with either organic or psychogenic erectile dysfunction, sexual stimulation resulted in improved erections, as assessed by an objective measurement of hardness and duration of erections (via the use of RigiScan®), after sildenafil administration compared with placebo. Most studies assessed the efficacy of sildenafil approximately 60 minutes post-dose. The erectile response, as assessed by RigiScan®, generally increased with increasing sildenafil dose and plasma concentration. The time course of effect was examined in one study, showing an effect for up to 4 hours but the response was diminished compared to 2 hours. Sildenafil causes mild and transient decreases in systemic blood pressure which, in the majority of cases, do not translate into clinical effects. After chronic dosing of 80 mg, three times a day to patients with systemic hypertension the mean change from baseline in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was a decrease of 9.4 mmHg and 9.1 mmHg respectively. After chronic dosing of 80 mg, three times a day to patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension lesser effects in blood pressure reduction were observed (a reduction in both systolic and diastolic pressure of 2 mmHg) . At the recommended dose of 20 mg three times a day no reductions in systolic or diastolic pressure were seen. Single oral doses of sildenafil up to 100 mg in healthy volunteers produced no clinically relevant effects on ECG. After chronic dosing of 80 mg three times a day to patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension no clinically relevant effects on the ECG were reported either. In a study of the hemodynamic effects of a single oral 100 mg dose of sildenafil in 14 patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) (> 70 % stenosis of at least one coronary artery), the mean resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased by 7 % and 6 % respectively compared to baseline. Mean pulmonary systolic blood pressure decreased by 9%. Sildenafil showed no effect on cardiac output and did not impair blood flow through the stenosed coronary arteries. Mild and transient differences in color discrimination (blue/green) were detected in some subjects using the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 hue test at 1 hour following a 100 mg dose, with no effects evident after 2 hours post-dose. The postulated mechanism for this change in color discrimination is related to inhibition of PDE6, which is involved in the phototransduction cascade of the retina. Sildenafil has no effect on visual acuity or contrast sensitivity. In a small size placebo-controlled study of patients with documented early age-related macular degeneration (n = 9), sildenafil (single dose, 100 mg) demonstrated no significant changes in visual tests conducted (which included visual acuity, Amsler grid, color discrimination simulated traffic light, and the Humphrey perimeter and photostress test).
Pharmacokinetics
Half-life
The terminal phase half-life observed for sildenafil is approximately 3 to 5 hours.
Plasma sildenafil concentrations appear to decline in a biphasic manner following oral administration, with a terminal elimination half-life of about 4 hours (range: 3-5 hours).
High clearance was the principal determinant of short elimination half-lives in rodents (0.4-1.3 hr), whereas moderate clearance in dog and man resulted in longer half-lives (6.1 and 3.7 hr respectively).
Absorption
Sildenafil is known to be quickly absorbed, with maximum plasma concentrations being observed within 30-120 minutes (with a median of 60 minutes) of oral administration in a fasting patient. Moreover, the mean absolute bioavailability observed for sildenafil is about 41% (from a range of 25-63%). In particular, after oral three times a day dosing of sildenafil, the AUC and Cmax increase in proportion with dose over the recommended dosage range of 25-100 mg. When used in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, however, the oral bioavailability of sildenafil after a dosing regimen of 80 mg three times a day, was on average 43% greater than compared to the lower doses. Finally, if sildenafil is administered orally with food, the rate of absorption is observed to be decreased with a mean delay in Tmax of about 60 minutes and a mean decrease in Cmax of approximately 29%. Regardless, the extent of absorption is not observed to be significantly affected as the recorded AUC decreased by only about 11 %.
After either oral or intravenous administration, sildenafil is excreted as metabolites predominantly in the feces (approximately 80% of the administered oral dose) and to a lesser extent in the urine (approximately 13% of the administered oral dose).
The mean steady-state volume of distribution documented for sildenafil is approximately 105 L - a value which suggests the medication undergoes distribution into the tissues.
The total body clearance documented for sildenafil is 41 L/h.
Sildenafil is rapidly and almost completely absorbed following oral administration. Bioequivalence has been established between the 20-mg tablet and the 10-mg/mL oral suspension when administered as a single oral dose of 20 mg. Although single-dose studies indicate that more than 90% of an oral sildenafil dose is absorbed from the GI tract, the drug undergoes extensive metabolism in the GI mucosa during absorption and on first pass through the liver, with only about 40% of a dose reaching systemic circulation unchanged. Pharmacokinetics of the drug (as determined by peak plasma concentrations or area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC)) are dose proportional over the single-dose range of 1.25-200 mg. Peak plasma concentrations of sildenafil and its active N-desmethyl metabolite are achieved within 30-120 (median: 60) minutes following oral administration in fasting adults.
Sildenafil appears to be widely distributed in the body, with a reported volume of distribution at steady state averaging 105 L. It is not known whether sildenafil is distributed into milk. Sildenafil and its major circulating N-desmethyl metabolite are each approximately 96% bound to plasma proteins; protein binding reportedly is independent of plasma concentration over the range of 0.01-10 ug/mL. Plasma protein binding of the drug in geriatric adults older than 65 years of age is slightly greater (97%) than that observed in individuals younger than 45 years of age (96%). Sildenafil is distributed to a limited extent in semen following oral administration, with less than 0.001% of a single dose appearing in semen 90 minutes after dosing in healthy individuals Such concentrations are unlikely to cause any effects in sexual partners exposed to the semen.
Metabolism
The metabolism of sildenafil is facilitated primarily by the CYP3A4 hepatic microsomal isoenzymes and to a minor extent, via the CYP2C9 hepatic isoenzymes. The predominant circulating metabolite results from the N-demethylation of sildenafil. This particular resultant metabolite possesses a phosphodiesterase selectivity that is similar to the parent sildenafil molecule and a corresponding in vitro potency for PDE5 that is approximately 50% that of the parent drug. Moreover, plasma concentrations of the metabolite are about 40% of those recorded for sildenafil, a percentage that accounts for about 20% of sildenafil’s pharmacologic effects. This primary N-desmethyl metabolite of sildenafil also undergoes further metabolism, with a terminal half-life of about 4 hours. In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, plasma concentrations of the primary N-desmethyl metabolite are about 72% those of the original parent sildenafil molecule after a regimen of 20 mg three times a day - which is consequently responsible for about a 36% contribution to sildenafil’s overall pharmacological effects.
Sildenafil is cleared predominantly by the CYP3A4 (major route) and CYP2C9 (minor route) hepatic microsomal isoenzymes. The major circulating metabolite results from N-desmethylation of sildenafil, and is itself further metabolized. This metabolite has a phosphodiesterase (PDE) selectivity profile similar to sildenafil and an in vitro potency for phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) approximately 50% of the parent drug. Plasma concentrations of this metabolite are approximately 40% of those seen for sildenafil, so that the metabolite accounts for about 20% of sildenafil's pharmacologic effects.
Pharmacokinetics were studied in mouse, rat, rabbit, dog and man after single intravenous and/or oral doses of sildenafil or (14)C-sildenafil (Viagra). .... Five principal pathways of metabolism in all species were piperazine N-demethylation, pyrazole N-demethylation, loss of a two-carbon fragment from the piperazine ring (N,N'-deethylation), oxidation of the piperazine ring and aliphatic hydroxylation. Additional metabolites arose through combinations of these pathways. Sildenafil was the major component detected in human plasma. Following oral doses, AUC (infinity) for the piperazine N-desmethyl and piperazine N,N'-desethyl metabolites were 55 and 27% that of parent compound respectively.
Sildenafil is eliminated mainly in the feces as metabolites. In healthy adults and those with erectile dysfunction, approximately 80% of an oral dose is excreted as metabolites in feces and 13% is excreted in urine. In feces, the N-dealkylated, hydroxylated, N-demethylated, and N-dealkylated/demethylated metabolites of sildenafil comprise about 22, 13, 3, and 3% of total fecal excretion. In healthy individuals, sildenafil is excreted in urine mainly as the hydroxylated metabolite, with this metabolite representing about 41% of total urinary excretion of the drug.
/Sprague Dawley rats (10/sex/dose) were administered 10, 45 or 200 mg/kg/day of sildenafil for 1 month by oral gavage./ Plasma concentrations of sildenafil were higher in females than in males, while concentrations of the metabolite, UK-103,320, were higher in males than in females. As a result, females were exposed predominantly to the unchanged drug and males to an almost equal balance of drug and metabolite. These data indicate that N-demethylation of sildenafil to UK-103,320 is an important route of sildenafil biotransformation in male rats. Concentrations of UK-95,340 were generally below the limit of determination (30 ng/mL). ... /From table/
Sildenafil appears to be completely metabolized in the liver to up to 16 metabolites, most of which represent only a small fraction of a dose; little or no unchanged drug is detectable in urine or feces following oral or IV administration. Sildenafil is metabolized principally via hepatic cytochrome P-450 (CYP) microsomal isoenzymes 3A4 (major route) and 2C9 (minor route), and potent inhibitors of CYP3A4 can substantially reduce sildenafil clearance. Hepatic metabolism of sildenafil is complex, generally involving the piperazine ring, N,N-de-ethylation (ring opening) or N-demethylation of the piperazine ring and aliphatic hydroxylation; the drug and its metabolites do not appear to undergo conjugation. The N-demethylated metabolite, the major circulating metabolite, has a phosphodiesterase selectivity profile similar to that of sildenafil and an in vitro potency for PDE type 5 of approximately 50% of the parent drug. The N-demethylated metabolite is further metabolized to an N-dealkylated N,N-de-ethylated) metabolite. The drug also undergoes N-dealkylation followed by N-demethylation of the piperazine ring.
Protein binding
It is generally observed that sildenafil and its main circulating N-desmethyl metabolite are both estimated to be about 96% bound to plasma proteins. Nevertheless, it has been determined that protein binding for sildenafil is independent of total drug concentrations.
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