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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
High-Resolution Fluorespirometry to Assess Dynamic Changes in Mitochondrial Membrane Potential in Human Immune Cells
Published on: May 24, 2024
Altered mitochondrial RNA production in adipocytes from HIV-infected individuals with lipodystrophy
Lorenzo Galluzzi1, Marcello Pinti, Giovanni Guaraldi
1Chair of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Background:
Damage to mitochondria (mt) is a major side effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) that includes a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI). Such damage is associated with the onset of lipodystrophy in HAART-treated HIV+ patients. To further investigate mt changes during this syndrome, we analysed the expression of mtRNA in adipocytes from lipodystrophic HIV+ patients taking NRTI-containing HAART and compared it with similar cells from healthy individuals.
Materials And Methods:
Total RNA was extracted from adipocytes collected from different anatomical locations of 11 HIV+ lipodystrophic patients and seven healthy control individuals. RNA was reverse transcribed and Taqman-based real-time PCR was used to quantify three different mt transcripts (ND1, CYTB and ND6 gene products). mtRNA content was normalized versus the housekeeping transcript L13.
Results:
ND1, CYTB and ND6 expression was significantly reduced in HIV+ lipodystrophic patients. HIV+ men and women did not differ in a statistically significant way regarding the levels of ND1 and ND6, whereas the opposite occurred for CYTB.
Conclusions:
Lipodystrophy following treatment with NRTI-containing HAART is associated with a decrease in adipose tissue mtRNAs.
