Effect of nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors of HIV on endogenous nucleotide pools

Alterations in endogenous nucleotide pools as a result of HIV therapy with nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (N[t]RTIs) is a proposed mechanism for therapy-related adverse events and drug interactions resulting in treatment failure. In vitro studies were performed in order to understand the effect of N(t)RTIs on endogenous nucleotide pools.

The T-cell line CEM-CCRF was treated with control antimetabolites or the N(t)RTIs abacavir, didanosine, lamivudine, tenofovir (TFV) and zidovudine (AZT), either alone or in combination. The levels of natural 2'-deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTP) and ribonucleoside triphophosphates were determined by liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

Antimetabolites altered nucleotide pools in a manner consistent with their known mechanisms of action. AZT was the only N(t)RTI that significantly altered dNTP pools. incubation of 10 microM AZT, either alone or in combination with other N(t)RTIs, increased 2'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate, 2'-deoxyguanosine triphosphate and thymidine triphosphate levels by up to 1.44-fold the concentrations observed in untreated cells. At higher than pharmacological concentrations of AZT, evidence for inhibition of 2'-deoxycytidylate deaminase and enzymes involved in the salvage of thymidine was also observed. Phosphorylated metabolites of TFV are known to inhibit purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP). However, in contrast to a potent PNP inhibitor, TFV was unable to alter intracellular dNTP pools upon addition of exogenous 2'-deoxyguanosine.

N(t)RTIs have the potential to alter nucleotide pools; however, at the pharmacologically relevant concentrations, tested N(t)RTI or their combinations did not have an effect on nucleotide pools with the notable exception of AZT.