Perinatal Exposure of Patas Monkeys to Antiretroviral Nucleoside Reverse-Transcriptase Inhibitors Induces Genotoxicity Persistent for up to 3 Years of Age

Background. Erythrocebus patas (patas) monkeys were used to model antiretroviral (ARV) drug in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected pregnant women. Methods. Pregnant patas dams were given human-equivalent doses of ARVs daily during 50% of gestation. Mesenchymal cells, cultured from bone marrow of patas offspring obtained at birth and at 1 and 3 years of age, were examined for genotoxicity, including centrosomal amplification, micronuclei, and micronuclei containing whole chromosomes. Results. Compared with controls, statistically significant increases (P < .05) in centrosomal amplification, micronuclei, and micronuclei containing whole chromosomes were found in mesenchymal cells from most groups of offspring at the 3 time points. Conclusions. Transplacental nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor exposures induced fetal genotoxicity that was persistent for 3 years.