AUTHOR=Xiong Ying , Wintermark Pia 

TITLE=The Role of Sildenafil in Treating Brain Injuries in Adults and Neonates

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2022.879649

DOI=10.3389/fncel.2022.879649

ISSN=1662-5102

ABSTRACT=Sildenafil is a recognized treatment for patients suffering from erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. However, new evidence suggests that it may have a neuroprotective and a neurorestorative role in the central nervous system of both adults and neonates. Phosphodiesterase type 5 — the target of sildenafil — is distributed in many cells throughout the body, including neurons and glial cells. This study is a comprehensive review of the demonstrated effects of sildenafil on the brain with respect to its function, extent of injury, neurons, neuroinflammation, myelination and cerebral vessels.