Introduction
As we all known, Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) are widely used
in clinical practice. Previous a series of clinical trials published inThe New England Journal of Medicine showed that oral sildenafil
is an effective, well-tolerated treatment for men with erectile
dysfunction (ED),1 and no adverse cardiovascular
effects in men with severe coronary artery disease.2Moreover, it may improve exercise capacity and hemodynamics in patients
with symptomatic pulmonary arterial hypertension
(PAH).3 In fact, the use of PDE5i could provide
definite cardiovascular benefits beyond ED treatment, including
cardioprotective effects and improving acute myocardial infarction (AMI)
survival.4 It is now a promising drug candidate for
the treatment of not only cardiovascular disease
(CVD),5 but also neurocognitive or neurodegenerative
disorders due to the potential of neuro-restorative and neuroprotective
effects.6,7
Table 1 Major clinical applications and related molecular
mechanisms 16-19