title: Zidovudine induces visceral mitochondrial toxicity and intra-abdominal fat gain in a rodent model of lipodystrophy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of zidovudine is associated with a loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). We assessed if zidovudine treatment also affects visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and if uridine supplementation abrogates the adverse effects of zidovudine on VAT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were fed zidovudine for 21 weeks with or without simultaneous uridine supplementation. Control animals did not receive zidovudine, or were treated with uridine alone. Changes in SAT and VAT were monitored by magnetic resonance imaging. Adipose tissue was examined for structural and molecular signs of mitochondrial toxicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Zidovudine induced lipoatrophy in SAT and fat hypertrophy in VAT. Compared with controls zidovudine-exposed VAT adipocytes had increased diameters, microvesicular steatosis and enlarged mitochondria with disrupted crystal architecture on electron microscopy. VAT adipocyte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy numbers were diminished, as were mtDNA-encoded respiratory chain proteins. The 'common' mtDNA deletion was detected in high frequencies in zidovudine treated animals, but not in the controls. Although mtDNA depletion was more profound in SAT compared with VAT, the 'common' deletion tended to be more frequent in the VAT than in the SAT. Uridine coadministration abrogated all effects of zidovudine on VAT and SAT pathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Zidovudine induces a gain of intra-abdominal fat in association with quantitative and qualitative alterations of the mitochondrial genome and impaired expression of mtDNA-encoded respiratory chain components, indicating that zidovudine may contribute to abdominal fat hypertrophy in HIV-infected patients. In this rodent model, uridine supplementation abrogates both SAT and VAT pathology induced by zidovudine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich A
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lebrecht
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reichard
authors.forename: Janbernd
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kirschner
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bissé
authors.forename: Line
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: Ana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Venhoff
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Venhoff
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D050154:Adiposity / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018628:Gene Dosage / Q000187:drug effects; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D008060:Lipodystrophy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D015215:Zidovudine; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1