Com a introdução de uma nova classe de antiretrovirais integrantes da terapia anti-retroviral altamente ativa (HAART) para o tratamento das infecções pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana, começaram a ser descritos inúmeros efeitos secundários.Na tentativa de se estabelecer um modelo animal para o estudo destes efeitos buscou-se uma espécie com similaridade no perfil e metabolismo lipídico. Iniciou-se estudo em Mesocricetus auratus. Foram avaliados o perfil lipídico e glicêmico,função hepática e renal, níveis de auto-anticorpos anti ox-LDL, perfil eletrocardiográfico, alterações histopatológicas renais e cardíacas nos animais sob dieta hiperlipídica e normal,tratados com Indinavir, inibidor de protease utilizado na HAART. Observou-se uma diminuição da sobrevida nos animais tratados com indinavir, aumento do nível sérico de triglicérides e glicose, redução de auto-anticorpos anti ox-LDL,aumento do segmento QRS no eletrocardiograma, presença de fibrose renal e cardíaca, hipercelularidade glomerular nos animais tratados com a droga com ou sem dieta hiperlipídica quando comparados com os controles. Concluimos que Mesocricetus auratus se apresenta como um bom modelo para o desvendamento dos mecanismos patológicos observados na HAART. / With the introduction of a new antiretroviral class use, integrants of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of infections by human immunodeficiency virus, several side effects started to be described.To establish an animal model for the study of these side effects, was chosen specie that have similarities in the lipidic profile and metabolism. A study in Mesocricetus auratus was started. It was evaluated the lipidic and glicemic profile ,hepatic and renal function, the levels of auto-antibodies against ox-LDL, electrocardiographic profile and renal and cardiac histopathological alterations in these animals under hyperlipidic and normal diets,treated with Indinavir, a protease inhibitor used in HAART.It was observed a decrease in the survival rate in the animals treated with Indinavir; an increase of the triglycerides and glucose serum level; reduction of anti ox-LDL auto-antibodies; increased QRS segment in the electrocardiogram; presence of renal and cardiac fibrosis; glomerular hypercellularity in the animals treated with the drug, with or without hyperlipidic diet when compared with the controls. We conclude that the Mesocricetus auratus is a good model for disclosure of the pathological mechanisms generated by HAART.

Com a introdução de uma nova classe de antiretrovirais integrantes da terapia anti-retroviral altamente ativa (HAART) para o tratamento das infecções pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana, começaram a ser descritos inúmeros efeitos secundários.Na tentativa de se estabelecer um modelo animal para o estudo destes efeitos buscou-se uma espécie com similaridade no perfil e metabolismo lipídico. Iniciou-se estudo em Mesocricetus auratus. Foram avaliados o perfil lipídico e glicêmico,função hepática e renal, níveis de auto-anticorpos anti ox-LDL, perfil eletrocardiográfico, alterações histopatológicas renais e cardíacas nos animais sob dieta hiperlipídica e normal,tratados com Indinavir, inibidor de protease utilizado na HAART. Observou-se uma diminuição da sobrevida nos animais tratados com indinavir, aumento do nível sérico de triglicérides e glicose, redução de auto-anticorpos anti ox-LDL,aumento do segmento QRS no eletrocardiograma, presença de fibrose renal e cardíaca, hipercelularidade glomerular nos animais tratados com a droga com ou sem dieta hiperlipídica quando comparados com os controles. Concluimos que Mesocricetus auratus se apresenta como um bom modelo para o desvendamento dos mecanismos patológicos observados na HAART. / With the introduction of a new antiretroviral class use, integrants of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of infections by human immunodeficiency virus, several side effects started to be described.To establish an animal model for the study of these side effects, was chosen specie that have similarities in the lipidic profile and metabolism. A study in Mesocricetus auratus was started. It was evaluated the lipidic and glicemic profile ,hepatic and renal function, the levels of auto-antibodies against ox-LDL, electrocardiographic profile and renal and cardiac histopathological alterations in these animals under hyperlipidic and normal diets,treated with Indinavir, a protease inhibitor used in HAART.It was observed a decrease in the survival rate in the animals treated with Indinavir; an increase of the triglycerides and glucose serum level; reduction of anti ox-LDL auto-antibodies; increased QRS segment in the electrocardiogram; presence of renal and cardiac fibrosis; glomerular hypercellularity in the animals treated with the drug, with or without hyperlipidic diet when compared with the controls. We conclude that the Mesocricetus auratus is a good model for disclosure of the pathological mechanisms generated by HAART.

Étant donnée la séquence hautement conservée de la NC et son rôle crucial dans le cycle viral de VIH-1, les molécules inhibant la NC sont susceptibles d'agir comme complément aux thérapies anti-rétrovirales à haute activité (HAART) basées sur des médicaments ciblant les enzymes virales, Des médicaments anti-NC sont ainsi susceptibles d'entraîner un maintien de l'inhibition de la réplication d'un large panel d'isolats VIH-1 incluant des lignées virales résistantes aux médicaments ciblant les enzymes virales. Récemment, dans le cadre du consortium Européen TRIoH, de nouvelles stratégies visant à cibler spécifiquement les propriétés chaperonnes de la NC sur les acides nucléiques ont été développées. Selon une stratégie protégée par un brevet soumis, une série de peptides a été conçue afin d'agir comme compétiteurs de la NC et pouyant ainsi inhiber la réplication du virus. Au sein de cette série, plusieurs peptides ont montré une inhibition efficace des propriétés de déstabilisation des acides nucléiques par la NC. Quatre de ces peptides ont été testés en milieu cellulaire et trois d'entre eux ont montré qu'ils pouvaient inhiber efficacement la réplication du HIV-1 dans les lymphocytes. Dans ce contexte, un premier objectif de cette thèse fût de caractériser avec précision les propriétés de ces peptides. En outre, un objectif supplémentaire fût de caractériser le mécanisme moléculaire vis-à-vis de la NC de petites molécules anti-virales développées par les groupes de D. Daelemans (Leuven) et M. Botta (Sienne). / Due to the highly conserved §equence ofNC and its crucial function during HIV-I life cycle, molecules directedagainst NC are believed to be able to complement the highly active anti-retroviral therapies (HAART) based on drugstargeting the viral enzymes. Anti-NC drugs are thought to provide a sustained replication inhibition of a large panel ofHIV-I isolates including virus strains resistant to drugs targeting viral enąrmes. Recently, within the Europeanconsortium TRIoH, new strategies to specifically target the nucleic acid chaperone properties ofNC were developed.According to a strategy protected by a submitted patent, a series of peptides have been desigrred to act as competitorsforNC and thus, inhibit virus replication. Among this series, several peptides were found to efficiently ińibit therrrrcleic acid destabilization properties ofNC. Four of them have been tested in the cellular context and t}ree out ofthemwere found to efficientĘ ińibit the replication of HIV-I in lymphocytes. In this context, the objective of the thesis wasto characterize in depth the properties ofthese peptides. Moreover, an additional objective was to characterize themolecular mechanism in respect to NC of small antiviral drugs developed by the group of D. Daelemans (Leuven) andM. Botta (Siena).