title: Resveratrol Co-Treatment Attenuates the Effects of HIV Protease Inhibitors on Rat Body Weight and Enhances Cardiac Mitochondrial Respiration.
abstract: Since the early 1990s human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) emerged as a global health pandemic, with sub-Saharan Africa the hardest hit. While the successful roll-out of antiretroviral (ARV) therapy provided significant relief to HIV-positive individuals, such treatment can also elicit damaging side-effects. Here especially HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) are implicated in the onset of cardio-metabolic complications such as type-2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. As there is a paucity of data regarding suitable co-treatments within this context, this preclinical study investigated whether resveratrol (RSV), aspirin (ASP) or vitamin C (VitC) co-treatment is able to blunt side-effects in a rat model of chronic PI exposure (Lopinavir/Ritonavir treatment for 4 months). Body weights and weight gain, blood metabolite levels (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), echocardiography and cardiac mitochondrial respiration were assessed in PI-treated rats ± various co-treatments. Our data reveal that PI treatment significantly lowered body weight and cardiac respiratory function while no significant changes were found for heart function and blood metabolite levels. Moreover, all co-treatments ameliorated the PI-induced decrease in body weight after 4 months of PI treatment, while RSV co-treatment enhanced cardiac mitochondrial respiratory capacity in PI-treated rats. This pilot study therefore provides novel hypotheses regarding RSV co-treatment that should be further assessed in greater detail.
authors.affiliation: Cardio-Metabolic Research Group (CMRG), Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
authors.forename: Burger
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Symington
authors.affiliation: Cardio-Metabolic Research Group (CMRG), Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
authors.forename: Rudo F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Mapanga
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Gavin R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.affiliation: Cardio-Metabolic Research Group (CMRG), Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
authors.forename: M Faadiel
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8434-4294
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Essop
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008929:Mitochondria, Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000077185:Resveratrol; D013267:Stilbenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D013267:Stilbenes; D000077185:Resveratrol