TRACE ELEMENT AND LIGHT MICROSCOPIC STUDIES ON TESTIS OF ALBINO RATS TREATED WITH SILDENAFIL CITRATE (CAVERTA)

Background: Caverta (Sildenafil citrate), an oral therapy for Erectile Dysfunction (ED), being the citrate salt of Sildenafil, is a selective inhibitor of cGMP- specific phosphodiestrase type (PDE5). Aim: To study the drug- induced (i) changes in the trace element content of Testis and (ii) changes in the histoarchitecture of Testis of the experimental Albino rats. Materials and Methods: For the present study, totally 48 animals were selected on weight basis and divided into 8 groups (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7 and S8) with six animals in each group. Control animals (S1) were fed with conductivity water while the experimental animals (S2, S3, S4 and S5) were treated with a single dose of Caverta (@ 1?g/g body weight). Control animals were sacrificed at zero hour while the experimental animals (S2, S3, S4 and S5) were sacrificed after 1 hour, 2? hours, 4 hours and 24 hours of drug administration respectively S6, S7 and S8 group of animals were fed with a single dose of the chosen drug (@ 1?g/g body weight) daily for all the 15, 30 and 45 days respectively. These animals were sacrificed after 4 hours of the last dosage. Vertical ventral midline incision was made in the abdominal wall to collect the left and right Testes. Results: The spectral analysis indicates that the long term Caverta treatment of Albino rats results in the accumulation of Iron and Copper levels accompanied by a depletion of Nickel levels in the Testis. The histological studies indicate that long term exposure of Testis to Caverta leads to distorted histoarchitecture of the seminiferous tubules, interstitial space dilation and separation of Spermatogenic cells. Conclusion: Long term Sildenafil Citrate (Caverta) treatment of Albino rats will bring in adverse effects and will completely alter the histoarchitecture of the Testis.