title: Lopinavir-ritonavir: effects on endothelial cell function in healthy subjects.
abstract: To differentiate between the effects that antiretroviral drugs have on the endothelium and the secondary effects that they have on immune function, viral load, and dyslipidemia, 6 non-human immunodeficiency virus-infected human subjects were treated with lopinavir-ritonavir for 1 month and, on the basis of forearm blood flow, the treatment's effects on endothelial cell function were measured. Surprisingly, after exposure to lopinavir-ritonavir, absolute forearm blood-flow responses to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator, acetylcholine, increased significantly (P=.03), and forearm blood flow decreased to a greater extent during specific inhibition of NO synthase by N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine. Thus, in this small cohort of subjects, short-term treatment with lopinavir-ritonavir does not appear to directly promote endothelial cell dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Medical Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Grubb
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dejam
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Voell
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Blackwelder
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sklar
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Richard O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masur
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gladwin
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D061466:Lopinavir; D008297:Male; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D061466:Lopinavir; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D000109:Acetylcholine; D019438:Ritonavir