Description
RitonavirisanHIVproteaseinhibitorthatiscommonlyusedasacomponentofhighlyactiveanti-retroviraltherapy(HAART)inthetreatmentofHIVinfection.Ritonavirexhibitsantiviral,anti-angiogenic,neuroprotective,andhyperlipidemicactivities.RitonavirinhibitsexpressionofVEGFandHIF-1α,decreasingproliferationinretinalepithelialcellsandindicatingpotentialuseasatreatmentforoculardiseases.Ritonaviralsoinhibitstranslocationofapoptosis-inducingfactor(AIF),activatescaspase9,andinhibitspermeABIlityalterationsinthemitochondrialmembranepotential,preventingapoptosisinretinalphotoreceptorcellsandmacrophages.Thiscompounddecreaseslevelsofsarco/endoplasmicreticulumCa2+-ATPase(SERCA)andintracellularCa2+,increasingendoplasmicreticularstressandinjury.Additionally,ritonavirincreaseslevelsofIL-6anddecreaseslevelsofADIponectin,GLUT4,andfattyacidsynthase,inhibitinglipogenesisandincreasinglipodystrophy;thiscompoundalsoincreaseslevelsofVLDL.