Intracellular Disposition and Metabolic Effects of Zidovudine, Stavudine and Four Protease Inhibitors in Cultured Adipocytes

Abstract

These data demonstrate that PIs may play a role in the insulin resistance observed in lipodystrophy by affecting glucose uptake, adipogenesis and lipolysis. NRTIs alone do not seem to have any effect on adipocyte metabolism despite undergoing phosphorylation to their triphosphorylated anabolites, although their effects in combination with PIs in perturbing adipocyte metabolism warrants further investigation.