The HIV protease inhibitor ritonavir blocks osteoclastogenesis and function by impairing RANKL-induced signaling
J. Clin. Invest. Michael W.-H. Wang, et al. 114:206 doi:10.1172/JCI15797 [Go to this article.]

Figure 3
Osteoclast function is impaired by ritonavir. (A) Osteoclasts, generated on whale dentine slices for 3 days by treatment with RANKL and M-CSF, were exposed to control medium, ritonavir (10 μg/ml), or indinavir (10 μg/ml) for an additional 2 days. TRAP-stained dentine slices show no change in osteoclast number with exposure to PIs (top panels). Following cell removal, Coomassie blue staining of dentine slices show decreased bone pits with ritonavir treatment (bottom panels). Magnification, ×100. (B) Ritonavir, but not indinavir, decreases pit number (per 0.36 mm²), percentage of pit area, and pit depth (in micrometers) by half (each P < 0.01).