title: Antiapoptotic mechanism of HIV protease inhibitors: preventing mitochondrial transmembrane potential loss.
abstract: Treatment of cells with the HIV drugs ritonavir, saquinavir, or nelfinavir (Nfv) inhibits apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli. Because these drugs are protease inhibitors, they have been postulated to inhibit apoptosis by blocking caspase activity. This study shows that Nfv has no effect on caspase activity or on the transcription or synthesis of a variety of apoptosis regulatory molecules. Instead, Nfv inhibits mitochondrial transmembrane potential loss (Delta psi(m)) and the subsequent release of apoptotic mediators. Consequently, the antiapoptotic effects of Nfv are restricted to apoptotic pathways that involve Delta psi(m). (Blood. 2001;98:1078-1085)
authors.affiliation: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Phenix
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lum
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Dardon
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Badley
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020169:Caspases / Q000187:drug effects; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000502:physiology; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019888:Nelfinavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D019258:Saquinavir / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D015215:Zidovudine; D020169:Caspases; D019888:Nelfinavir; D019258:Saquinavir; D019438:Ritonavir