Viagra Could Prevent Restenosis After Stent Implantation
Sildenafil (Viagra)-coated stents could be a promising new option for the prevention of restenosis and stent thrombosis after stent implantation, according to a recent study.
In the study, researchers assessed the effects of sildenafil on platelet aggregation and neointimal hyperplasia in a rodent model.
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Experiments showed that sildenafil significantly reduced neointimal hyperplasia, facilitated re-endothelialization, and inhibited platelet aggregation.
In rats, sildenafil was found to reduce blood platelet clumping by 30% by increasing the activity of protein kinase G (PKG), an enzyme known to prevent the artery walls from thickening. When researchers added a PKG inhibitor in additional experiments, they found the effects of sildenafil were reversed, which suggests that the drug inhibits platelet aggregation through the PKG pathway.
Additionally, the researchers suggested that the pill form of sildenafil could be another option to prevent restenosis.
“If similar results are found in clinical trials, sildenafil could be an ideal drug for coating drug-eluting stents or to give orally after stent implantation,” the researchers concluded. Adding, that if it is effective in humans, the drug “could be used in the clinical setting right away [it] is already used in the real world for other purposes.”
—Melissa Weiss
Reference:
1) Yang HM, Jin S, Kim HS, et al. Sildenafil inhibits neointimal hyperplasia after angioplasty, and reduces platelet aggregation. Presented at: American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2017 Scientific Sessions; July 10-13, 2017; Portland, OR. Abstract 62.
2) Stent coated with Viagra may help prevent blood clots [press release]. Portland, OR: American Heart Association; July 10, 2017. http://news.heart.org/stent-coated-with-viagra-may-help-prevent-blood-clots/.