Phosphodiesterase

The cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases comprise a group of enzymes that degrade the phosphodiester bond in the second messenger molecules cAMP and cGMP.

These multiple forms (isoforms or subtypes) of phosphodiesterase were isolated from rat brain using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the early 1970s by Weiss and coworkers,[1][2] and were soon afterward shown to be selectively inhibited by a variety of drugs in brain and other tissues, also by Weiss and coworkers.

The classification is based on:Different PDEs of the same family are functionally related despite the fact that their amino acid sequences can show considerable divergence.

[13] Sildenafil (Viagra) is an inhibitor of cGMP-specific phosphodiesterase type 5, which enhances the vasodilatory effects of cGMP in the corpus cavernosum and is used to treat erectile dysfunction.

Sildenafil is also currently being investigated for its myo- and cardioprotective effects, with particular interest being given to the compound's therapeutic value in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy[14] and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

[17] PDE inhibitors have been identified as new potential therapeutics in areas such as pulmonary arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, dementia, depression, asthma, COPD, protozoal infections (including malaria) and schizophrenia.

[citation needed] Sildenafil, Tadalafil and Vardenafil are PDE-5 inhibitors and are widely used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

With the help of this newly discovered nuclease, the yellow stains and odors, that normally remain on clothes with classical detergents, can easily be removed.