Aildenafil citrate with superior PDE5 selectivity ameliorates cognitive and behavioral impairments in APP/PS1 Alzheimer’s disease mice: a preclinical phenotypic study
Abstract
Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) imposes a significant global healthcare burden, and current available pharmacotherapies provide limited therapeutic benefits. Disrupted phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders, positioning PDE5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) as a promising therapeutic strategy for AD treatment. This study evaluated the preclinical therapeutic potential of aildenafil citrate (AC), a selective PDE5I approved in China for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), in AD treatment. Methods: Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations were integrated to explore the molecular mechanisms of aildenafil. The APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model of AD was employed to assess the in vivo efficacy of AC through behavioral, pathological, and oxidative assessments. Results: In silico analyses indicated that aildenafil exhibited a higher predicted affinity through a strengthened electrostatic network anchored by key bidentate hydrogen bonds with Gln817 and enhanced π-π stacking interactions with Phe820. Behavioral assessments, including the Barnes maze and Open field tests, demonstrated that AC significantly ameliorates cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like impairments. Pathological examinations revealed improved hippocampal morphology, upregulated neprilysin (NEP) expression, and reduced Aβ accumulation. The decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Drug repositioning: a brief overview
- Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in Drosophila melanogaster
- Time-resolved in silico modeling of fine-tuned cAMP signaling in platelets: feedback loops, titrated phosphorylations and pharmacological modulation
- Current View on Green Tea Catechins Formulations, Their Interactions with Selected Drugs, and Prospective Applications for Various Health Conditions
- In silico Structure-based Identification of Novel Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Against Alzheimer’s Disease
- Development and In Vitro Evaluation of Controlled Release Viagra® Containing Poloxamer-188 Using Gastroplus™ PBPK Modeling Software for In Vivo Predictions and Pharmacokinetic Assessments
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.