In vivo assessment of antiretroviral therapy-associated side effects

Abstract

Antiretroviral therapy has been associated with side effects, either from the drug itself or in conjunction with the effects of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Here, we evaluated the side effects of the protease inhibitor (PI) indinavir in hamsters consuming a normal or high-fat diet. Indinavir treatment increased the hamster death rate and resulted in an increase in triglyceride, cholesterol and glucose serum levels and a reduction in anti-oxLDL auto-antibodies. The treatment led to histopathological alterations of the kidney and the heart. These results suggest that hamsters are an interesting model for the study of the side effects of antiretroviral drugs, such as PIs.

Proteinase Inhibitors: A Promising Drug Class for Treating Leishmaniasis

“…Finally, it is important to consider that, despite the relative safety that proteinase inhibitors have been presenting when used against Leishmania in cell cultures or animal models, these drugs may cause some undesired side effects when applied in the treatment of leishmaniasis patients. It has been reported that proteinase inhibitors used in anti-HIV therapies may cause dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiac conduct abnormalities, nausea and diarrhea, however the more recently developed inhibitors cause these side effects less frequently [138][139][140][141]. Currently, an experimental animal model, using hamsters, is being developed to conduct studies about the side effects of antiretroviral proteinase inhibitors [141] and may, therefore, be also useful to determine the safety of potential antileishmanial proteinase inhibitors.…”