Klaudia Szabó, Bulcsú Dékány, Anna Énzsöly, Rozina Ida Hajdú, Lenke Kornélia Laurik-Feuerstein, Arnold Szabó, Tamás Radovits, Csaba Mátyás, Attila Oláh, Krisztián András Kovács, Ágoston Szél, Gábor Márk Somfai, Ákos Lukáts
Phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors - such as vardenafil - are used primarily for treating erectile dysfunction via increasing cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels. Recent studies have also demonstrated their significant cardioprotective effects in several diseases, including diabetes, upon long-term, continuous application. However, PDE inhibitors are not specific for PDE5 and also inhibit the retinal isoform. A sustained rise in cGMP in photoreceptors is known to be toxic; therefore, we hypothesized that long-term vardenafil treatment might result in retinotoxicity...
April 12, 2024: Experimental Eye Research