Raltegravir exerts its antiretroviral effect through which mechanism?

• A Inhibition of HIV protease-mediated cleavage of gag-pol polyproteins
• B Competitive inhibition of reverse transcriptase at the nucleoside binding site
• C Inhibition of the strand transfer step of HIV integrase ✓
• D Blockade of gp41-mediated fusion of the viral and host cell membranes

Explanation

Raltegravir is an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI): it blocks the transfer of proviral DNA into the host genome, preventing integration. Nucleoside analogue inhibition describes zidovudine and tenofovir, protease cleavage blockade describes drugs like atazanavir and darunavir, and gp41 fusion blockade describes enfuvirtide. Distinguishing the three enzymatic steps targeted by current drug classes is a repeatedly examined pharmacology point.

Reference: Katzung's Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 16th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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