title: Increased quinolinate immunoreactivity in the peripheral blood monocytes/macrophages from SIV-infected monkeys.
abstract: Quinolinate (QUIN), a metabolite in the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation and a neurotoxin that is thought to act through the NMDA receptor system, was localized in cultured peripheral blood monocytes/macrophages from SIV-infected monkeys using a recently developed immunohistochemical method. Significant increases in QUIN immunoreactive (IR) cells were detected in all five SIV-infected monkeys examined. Multinucleated giant cells, a hallmark of lentiviral infection, were visible in selected samples. Treatment with the QUIN precursors, tryptophan and kynurenine, increased the number of QUIN-IR cells in both the control and SIV-infected preparations, perhaps by a mass action mechanism. We hypothesize that in SIV-infected monkeys, infiltrating monocytes/macrophages contribute to the high level of brain QUIN and associated neuropathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington DC 20057, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Namboodiri
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Venkateshan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Narayanan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blinder
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Moffett
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Gajdusek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gravell
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gibbs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008264:Macrophages / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D017378:Quinolinic Acid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007737:Kynurenine; D014364:Tryptophan; D017378:Quinolinic Acid