Adiponection and Protease Inhibitor Side-Effects

Protease inhibitors are a widely used anti-retroviral therapy, but they do have some significant side effects. Patient compliance with a drug regimen declines when they experience side effects. Several therapies to counteract the protease inhibitor effects on fat metabolism have been attempted with limited results.

In this recent study (16Dasuri) the authors evaluate the effects of adiponectin on metabolism in mice treated with protease inhibitors. It should be noted that mice aren’t always the best models for neuro-cognitive disorders (for example, there’s no good mouse model for Alzheimer’s or ASD). However, this is a very interesting study.

Abstract:

HIV protease inhibitors are key components of HIV antiretroviral therapies, which are fundamental in the treatment of HIV infection. However, the protease inhibitors are well-known to induce metabolic dysfunction which can in turn escalate the complications of HIV, including HIV associated neurocognitive disorders. As experimental and epidemiological data support a therapeutic role for adiponectin in both metabolic and neurologic homeostasis, this study was designed to determine if increased adiponectin could prevent the detrimental effects of protease inhibitors in mice. Adult male wild type (WT) and adiponectin-overexpressing (ADTg) mice were thus subjected to a 4-week regimen of lopinavir/ritonavir, followed by comprehensive metabolic, neurobehavioral, and neurochemical analyses. Data show that lopinavir/ritonavir-induced lipodystrophy, hypoadiponectinemia, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertriglyceridemia were attenuated in ADTg mice. Furthermore, cognitive function and blood–brain barrier integrity were preserved, while loss of cerebrovascular markers and white matter injury were prevented in ADTg mice. Finally, lopinavir/ritonavir caused significant increases in expression of markers of brain inflammation and decreases in synaptic markers in WT, but not in ADTg mice. Collectively, these data reinforce the pathophysiologic link from metabolic dysfunction to loss of cerebrovascular and cognitive homeostasis; and suggest that preservation and/or replacement of adiponectin could prevent these key aspects of HIV protease inhibitor-induced toxicity in clinical settings.