HIV protease inhibitors block adipogenesis and increase lipolysis in vitro

AIDS therapies employing HIV protease inhibitors (PIs) are associated with changes in fat metabolism. However, the cellular mechanisms affected by PIs are not clear. Thus, the affects of PIs on adipocyte differentiation were examined in vitro using C3H10T1/2 stem cells. In these cells the PIs, nelfinavir, saquinavir, and ritonavir, reduced triglyceride accumulation, lipogenesis, and expression of the adipose markers, aP2 and LPL. Histological analysis revealed nelfinavir, saquinavir and ritonavir treatment decreased oil red O-staining of cytoplasmic fat droplets. Inhibition occurred in the presence of the RXR agonist LGD1069, indicating the inhibitory effects were not due to an absence of RXR ligand. Moreover, these three Pls increased acute lipolysis in adipocytes. In contrast, two HIV PIs, amprenavir and indinavir, had little effect on lipolysis, lipogenesis, or expression of aP2 and LPL. Although, saquinavir, inhibited ligand-binding to PPAR gamma with an IC50, of 12.7 +/- 3.2 mu M, none of the other PIs bound to the nuclear receptors RXR alpha or PPAR gamma, (IC(50)s> 20 mu M), suggesting that inhibition of adipogenesis is not due to antagonism of ligand binding to RXR alpha or PPAR gamma. Taken together, the results suggest that some, but not all, PIs block adipogenesis and stimulate fat catabolism in vitro and this may contribute to the effects of PIs on metabolism in the clinic. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.