title: Envelope glycoprotein gp120 of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 alters ion transport in astrocytes: implications for AIDS dementia complex.
abstract: Infection by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is often complicated by a variety of neurological abnormalities. The most common clinical syndrome, termed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) dementia complex, presents as a subcortical dementia with cognitive, motor, and behavioral disturbances and is unique to HIV-1 infection. The pathogenesis of this syndrome is poorly understood but is believed to involve interactions among virally infected macrophages/microglia, astrocytes, and neurons. In this study, we show that exposure of primary rat and human astrocytes to heat-activated HIV-1 virions, or to eukaryotically expressed HIV-1 and HIV-2 envelope glycoproteins (gp120) stimulates amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ antiport, potassium conductance, and glutamate efflux. These effects are blocked specifically by amiloride, an inhibitor of Na+/H+ antiport and by the selective removal of gp120 with immobilized monoclonal antibody. As a result of modulation of astrocytic function by gp120, the ensuing neuronal depolarization and glutamate exposure could activate both voltage-gated and N-methyl-D-aspartate-regulated Ca2+ channels, leading to increases in intraneuronal Ca2+ and neuronal death. These findings implicate the astrocyte directly in the pathogenesis of AIDS dementia complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Benos
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bubien
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Mashburn
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chaikin
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Benveniste
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000209:etiology*; D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015498:HIV-2; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D017136:Ion Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D000584:Amiloride; D011188:Potassium