Ricerc@Sapienza

Background: Phosphodiesterases (PDE) are a superfamily of enzymes that hydrolyse cyclic nucleotides (cAMP/
cGMP), signal molecules in transduction pathways regulating crucial aspects of cell life. PDEs regulate the intensity
and duration of the cyclic nucleotides signal modulating the downstream biological efect. Due to this critical role
associated with the extensive distribution and multiplicity of isozymes, the 11 mammalian families (PDE1 to PDE11)

Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensors have been recently applied to the study of biological pathways. In this study, a new biosensor was validated for the first time in live HEK293 and steroidogenic MLTC-1 cell lines for studying the effect of the PDE5 inhibitor on the hCG/LH-induced steroidogenic pathway. The sensor improves FRET between a donor (D), the fluorescein-like diarsenical probe that can covalently bind a tetracysteine motif fused to the PDE5 catalytic domain, and an acceptor (A), the rhodamine probe conjugated to the pseudosubstrate cGMPS.

Different adipose tissue (AT) depots are associated with multiple metabolic risks. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) is involved in adipocyte physiology and PDE5 inhibition may affect adipogenesis and ameliorate white AT quality. The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of AT and the composition of the stroma-vascular fraction (SVF) of subcutaneous AT (SAT) in type 2 diabetic mice after prolonged treatment with a PDE5 inhibitor, Sildenafil. 18 db/db mice were treated with Sildenafil or vehicle for 12 weeks.