Short communication: decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-uninfected subjects undergoing HIV postexposure prophylaxis

• Published in: AIDS research and human retroviruses Vol. 27; no. 9; p. 969
• Main Authors: Groener, Jan B, Seybold, Ulrich, Vollbrecht, Thomas, Bogner, Johannes R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.09.2011
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-HIV Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-HIV Agents - adverse effects; Apoptosis; Chemoprevention - adverse effects; Chemoprevention - methods; Female; Flow Cytometry; HIV Infections - prevention & control; Humans; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - physiology; Male; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial - drug effects; Membrane Potentials; Middle Aged; Mitochondrial Membranes - physiology; Post-Exposure Prophylaxis - methods; Staining and Labeling - methods
• DOI: 10.1089/AID.2010.0348

To monitor the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 18 HIV-uninfected individuals completing a 4-week course of HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) with emtricitabine/tenofovir and lopinavir/ritonavir were analyzed. ΔΨm was assessed by FACS analysis after staining with JC-1 using a mixed effects regression analysis. Apoptosis was determined by Annexin-V-FITC and propidium iodide staining. ΔΨm decreased significantly during HIV-PEP (p=0.0015 for the linear term, p=0.0039 for the quadratic term of days on PEP) and normalized several weeks after stopping antiretrovirals. The apoptosis rates did not change significantly (p=0.42). Even newer drugs such as tenofovir and emtricitabine may cause side effects due to mitochondrial dysfunction.