Mitochondrial toxicity of nucleoside analogues: mechanism, monitoring and management.

Nucleoside analogues (NRTIs) are potent antiretroviral medications and are central to effective highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Their intended action is to inhibit HIV reverse transcriptase. Nucleoside analogues also inhibit replication of mitochondrial DNA, and the pathogenesis of many of the toxicities associated with HAART is thought to be NRTI-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.