Effect of sildenafil citrate on secondary healing in full thickness skin defects in experiment

An acceleration of the wound healing process expedites chronic wound patient's return to normal social environments significantly. Sildenafil, a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent phosphodiesterase- 5 inhibitor has been shown to be a potent stimulator of angiogenesis through upregulation of cGMP. In our study, sildenafil was administered orally as a cost-effective supplement in the treatment of full thickness defects and chronic wounds in that manner with low incidence of side effects and morbidity.

Randomly selected 72 Wistar-Albino rats were divided into the two groups, 36 rats in each group. Control group (n =36) was divided further into a secondary healing group consisting of 9 rats and a pathology group consisting of 27 rats (pathology group 1: 9 rats, 4th and 7th day of wound healing, pathology group 2: 9 rats, 10th and 14th day of wound healing, pathology group 3: 9 rats, 21st and 28th day of wound healing. Experimental group consisted of 36 rats which received sildenafil citrate (Viagra® Pfizer, Germany) for secondary wound healing to proceed.

The average wound healing period in the control group was 17.89 days and in the sildenafil citrate administered group 14.56 days. The difference of the epithelialisation on full thickness defects were more prominent on days 5 and 11 postoperatively. In the sildenafil citrate applied group, on the 7th day, the defect was 25% smaller and on the 13th day, the defect contracted by 38%.

In conclusion, we believe that sildenafil citrate administered orally is a cost- effective supplement in the treatment of full thickness defects and chronic wounds in that manner with low incidence of side effects and morbidity (Tab. 4, Fig. 7, Ref. 34).