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Cardiovascular implications in the use of PDE5 inhibitor therapy

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 16, pages S20–S23 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Cardiovascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) exist as resting or activated cells. Resting SMCs produce contractile proteins and are nearly transcriptionally inactive; activated SMCs are transcriptionally active and are involved in pathological processes such as atherosclerosis. Soluble guanylate cyclase, protein kinase G, and protein kinase A are present in SMCs, but their levels can be decreased in activated cells. Phosphodiesterase 3 (PDE3) activity is abundant in cardiovascular tissues; both PDE3A and PDE3B are involved in cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) hydrolysis in these tissues. Cyclic-AMP-hydrolyzing PDE activities are altered during the phenotypic transition of SMCs from the resting to the activated phenotype. Similar changes have been observed in cyclic guanosine monophosphate cGMP-hydrolyzing PDEs, although the impact of these alterations on PDE5 inhibitor-mediated effects requires further study. This report presents the changes in PDE expression that accompany phenotypic modulation of SMCs and discusses the potential impact of these events on PDE5-mediated cell functions.

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  1. Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Queen's University at Kingston, Kingston, ON, Canada

    D H Maurice

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  1. D H Maurice
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Correspondence to D H Maurice.

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Maurice, D. Cardiovascular implications in the use of PDE5 inhibitor therapy. Int J Impot Res 16 (Suppl 1), S20–S23 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901210

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901210

Keywords

  • phosphodiesterase
  • smooth muscle cells
  • cyclic AMP
  • cyclic GMP
  • protein kinase

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