Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

It turns out that “little blue pill” can do so much more than increase blood flow to a certain part of the male anatomy.

According to a new study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, Viagra helps the spleen filter out the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum by giving red blood cells “a stiffy”. (We couldn’t help ourselves.)

The study investigation, conducted by a team of European researchers, focused on the life cycles of the malaria parasite, which involves the asexual form infecting red blood cells to develop into male and female gametocytes. The presence of gametocytes in red blood cells deforms them into crescent shapes that slip past the spleen’s threat detection systems.

In the study, the scientists sought out a way to modify the shape of the gametocyte-infected blood cells so they could be harnessed in the spleen. They learned that by using Viagra they were able to affect a molecular signal that stiffened infected blood cells, causing them to be detected and trapped by the spleen.

“We know from previous work in my lab that inhibiting malaria phosphodiesterase enzymes, or deleting the genes that encode them, can disrupt malaria parasite growth. In this new study we show that Viagra, a drug shown to be safe in humans, can make the sexual forms of the malaria parasite stiff,” said study author David Baker, professor of malaria parasite biology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “This causes them to be inactivated in the spleen and so prevents transmission of the sexual malaria parasites to mosquitoes. This is an interesting proof of concept which gives us hope that new drugs could be developed that specifically target the malaria parasite phosphodiesterase enzymes and block malaria transmission.”

Other uses for the magical blue pill

More than just punch line for late-night comedians or journalists hard-up for a double entendre, Viagra has shown promise for treating a number of serious and life-threatening conditions.

In October, European researchers found that the drug could actually have a protective effect on the heart if taken regularly. Researchers in that study focused on the active ingredient in Viagra called PDE5i.

“We found that PDE5is are among the very few drugs that are able to improve diastolic relaxation, thus helping the correct refilling of the ventricle after each contraction, a nearly unique feature in drugs used in cardiology, and with incredible potential for future development in the prevention of heart failure,” said study author Dr. Andrea Isidori, an endocrinologist from Sapienza University.

—–

Follow redOrbit on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest.

Comments

comments