Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Sildenafil effects on kidney damage in cats with acute chronic kidney
By Maden, Mehmet et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2024·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: The clinical efficacy of cGMP-specific sildenafil on mitochondrial biogenesis induction and renal damage in cats with acute on chronic kidney disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with acute on chronic kidney disease (ACKD) was treated with sildenafil citrate, a medication that may help improve kidney function. The cats received this treatment for 30 days, but while it did increase certain beneficial substances in their bodies, it did not significantly reduce kidney damage or fibrosis. The study found that sildenafil had some positive effects on kidney function, but it was not enough to prevent further kidney issues. Pet owners should discuss other treatment options with their veterinarian if their cat has kidney disease.
People also search for: cat kidney disease treatment · sildenafil for cats · acute on chronic kidney disease in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) induction has recently emerged as potential therapeutic approaches in kidney pathology and the mitochondria-targeted therapies should be investigated to improve treatment of animals with kidney diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effects of MB induction with sildenafil citrate on the cGMP/NO pathway, glomerular filtration, and reduction of kidney damage and fibrosis (TGF-β/SMAD pathway) in cats with acute on chronic kidney disease (ACKD). Thirty-three cats were divided into the non-azotemic (healthy) group (n:8) and the ACKD group (n:25), comprising different breeds, sexes, and ages. Sildenafil citrate was administered to the non-azotemic and ACKD groups (2.5 mg/kg, PO, q12 hours) for 30 days. Serum and urine NO, MDA, NGAL, KIM-1, TGF-β1, IL-18, FGF 23, PGC-1α and cGMP concentrations were measured. RESULTS: Serum cGMP concentrations increased (P < 0.05) in the non-azotemic group during the 2(median 475.99 pmol/mL) and 3(median 405.01 pmol/mL) weeks of the study, whereas serum cGMP concentrations decreased in the ACKD group during the 4(median 188.52 pmol/mL) week compared to the non-azotemic group (P < 0.05). No difference was observed in serum biomarker concentrations except NO, which increased in the 4week (P < 0.05). The urinary concentrations of NO, MDA, PGC-1α, TGF-β1, NGAL, KIM-1, IL-18, and FGF 23 in the ACKD group were found to be higher compared to those in the non-azotemic group from the 1to the 4week (P  < 0.05). In the ACKD group, the urine PGC-1α concentration in the 2(median 6.10 ng/mL) week was lower compared to that in the 0 and 1(median 7.65 and 7.21 ng/mL, respectively) week, and the NO concentration in the 3(median 28.94 µmol/mL) week was lower than that in the 0(median 37.43 µmol/mL) week (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: While sildenafil citrate has been determined to induce a low level of MB and to have a beneficial effect on glomerular filtration, it is observed to be ineffective in mitigating renal damage and fibrosis via the TGF-β/SMAD pathway in cats with ACKD.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39478527/