Can sildenafil help to protect young heart tissue from damage during surgery?

The cardio-protective efficacy of cardioplegic solution supplemented with Sildenafil in neonatal pig model of cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest 

Professor Massimo Caputo is studying ways to stop the heart of children and babies becoming damaged in heart surgery. During open heart surgery, blood is first diverted away from the heart (cardiopulmonary bypass) before a special solution, called cardioplegic solution, is infused into the heart to stop it beating so that the surgeons can perform the operation when the heart is not moving. During cardiopulmonary bypass the heart is not receiving any blood supply or oxygen and the cardioplegic solution is designed to try and protect the heart from any damage caused by this lack of oxygen. Although cardioplegia offers some protection, the heart can still be damaged when its blood flow is restored at the end of the operation. Young or premature babies having surgery to correct congenital heart defects are particularly vulnerable to this type of damage. Professor Caputo has recently shown that sildenafil, a drug commonly used to treat high blood pressure in the lungs, can protect newborn rat hearts from damage. In this project, he will add sildenafil to cardioplegic solution during open heart surgery in a larger animal – the pig. If this works, he will test the drug alongside cardioplegic solution during open heart surgery in babies and children. This research will determine whether sildenafil, alongside cardioplegic solution, can protect the heart of young children during surgery.