Membrane-Mediated Action of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil, activate the cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway resulting in vascular smooth muscle relaxation. They have been tested for a broad variety of conditions from cancer to Alzheimer...

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Main Authors: Anna I. Malykhina, Svetlana S. Efimova, Olga S. Ostroumova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Pharmaceutics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/5/563
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author Anna I. Malykhina
Svetlana S. Efimova
Olga S. Ostroumova
author_facet Anna I. Malykhina
Svetlana S. Efimova
Olga S. Ostroumova
author_sort Anna I. Malykhina
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives</b>: Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil, activate the cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway resulting in vascular smooth muscle relaxation. They have been tested for a broad variety of conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease with a positive impact. The known mechanism of action of these drugs could not explain such a plethora of effects. We studied the influence of PDE5 inhibitors on lipid bilayers as a possible application point of their action. <b>Methods</b>: To monitor the membrane changes induced by PDE5 inhibitors, the differential scanning microcalorimetry and the molecular dynamics simulation were used. <b>Results</b>: We found that sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil change elastic properties of model membranes: PDE5 inhibitors disorder thin membranes and order thick membranes. Moreover, PDE inhibitors were able to induce lipid interdigitation. To address the biological aspect of the findings, we performed molecular dynamics on smooth muscle cell’s lipid raft treated with PDE5 inhibitors and revealed the increased density of the lipids. Furthermore, we showed that the lipid condensation in the PDE inhibitors presence increases nitric oxide permeability. <b>Conclusions</b>: The obtained results may be of biological relevance as lipid raft thickening might have an impact on membrane protein function. Moreover, improved nitric oxide flow through membrane may partially explain therapeutic action of these drugs. The presented results are useful for finding novel implications for PDE inhibitors.
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spelling doaj-art-7ab61ad2103d494183694b31e5fbfa782025-08-20T03:48:02ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232025-04-0117556310.3390/pharmaceutics17050563Membrane-Mediated Action of Phosphodiesterase 5 InhibitorsAnna I. Malykhina0Svetlana S. Efimova1Olga S. Ostroumova2Laboratory of Membrane and Ion Channel Modeling, Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Ave. 4, St. Petersburg 194064, RussiaLaboratory of Membrane and Ion Channel Modeling, Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Ave. 4, St. Petersburg 194064, RussiaLaboratory of Membrane and Ion Channel Modeling, Institute of Cytology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Tikhoretsky Ave. 4, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil, activate the cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway resulting in vascular smooth muscle relaxation. They have been tested for a broad variety of conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease with a positive impact. The known mechanism of action of these drugs could not explain such a plethora of effects. We studied the influence of PDE5 inhibitors on lipid bilayers as a possible application point of their action. <b>Methods</b>: To monitor the membrane changes induced by PDE5 inhibitors, the differential scanning microcalorimetry and the molecular dynamics simulation were used. <b>Results</b>: We found that sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil change elastic properties of model membranes: PDE5 inhibitors disorder thin membranes and order thick membranes. Moreover, PDE inhibitors were able to induce lipid interdigitation. To address the biological aspect of the findings, we performed molecular dynamics on smooth muscle cell’s lipid raft treated with PDE5 inhibitors and revealed the increased density of the lipids. Furthermore, we showed that the lipid condensation in the PDE inhibitors presence increases nitric oxide permeability. <b>Conclusions</b>: The obtained results may be of biological relevance as lipid raft thickening might have an impact on membrane protein function. Moreover, improved nitric oxide flow through membrane may partially explain therapeutic action of these drugs. The presented results are useful for finding novel implications for PDE inhibitors.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/5/563PDE inhibitorssildenafilvardenafiltadalafillipid interdigitationlipid bilayer
spellingShingle Anna I. Malykhina
Svetlana S. Efimova
Olga S. Ostroumova
Membrane-Mediated Action of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
Pharmaceutics
PDE inhibitors
sildenafil
vardenafil
tadalafil
lipid interdigitation
lipid bilayer
title Membrane-Mediated Action of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
title_full Membrane-Mediated Action of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
title_fullStr Membrane-Mediated Action of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
title_full_unstemmed Membrane-Mediated Action of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
title_short Membrane-Mediated Action of Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors
title_sort membrane mediated action of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors
topic PDE inhibitors
sildenafil
vardenafil
tadalafil
lipid interdigitation
lipid bilayer
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/5/563
work_keys_str_mv AT annaimalykhina membranemediatedactionofphosphodiesterase5inhibitors
AT svetlanasefimova membranemediatedactionofphosphodiesterase5inhibitors
AT olgasostroumova membranemediatedactionofphosphodiesterase5inhibitors