Exercise Training Plus Sildenafil Treatment: Role on Autonomic and Inflammatory Markers

The current study aimed to determine the effects of sildenafil-associated aerobic exercise training (ET) on the physical performance, hemodynamic, autonomic and inflammatory parameters of rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to: sedentary rats placebo-treated (SP); sedentary rats sildenafil-treated (SS); trained rats placebo-treated (TP); and trained rats sildenafil-treated (TS). Sildenafil treatment consisted of 8 weeks of daily oral gavage (1.5 mg/kg), one hour before the session of ET (60-75% of maximal running speed, 5 days/week, for 8 weeks). After ET period, physical capacity, hemodynamic, autonomic and skeletal muscle inflammatory profile were assessed. Chronic sildenafil treatment causes an additional increase of physical capacity in aerobically trained rats. However, these beneficial effects were accompanied by unwanted alterations, as increased of arterial pressure and peripheral sympathetic modulation, as well as exacerbated inflammatory status on skeletal muscle of rats. Taken together, these data suggest the positive and negative effects of sildenafil chronic administration, associated to aerobic ET, at doses used in clinical practice. This report stresses the importance of paying greater attention to the indiscriminate use of this substance in high-performance sports.