Chronic systemic administration of tumor necrosis factor alpha and HIV gp120: effects on adult rodent brain and blood-brain barrier.
Since tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and HIV gpl20 glycoprotein are both neurotoxic, the possibility that systemic sources of these two agents mediate AIDS-associated blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and brain damage was tested in two murine models: (1) intramuscular implantation of a TNF-alpha-transfected tumor in nu/nu mice and (2) daily subcutaneous injections of HIV gpl20 in BALB/c mice. The BBB remained intact; brain damage was not found, and apoptotic cell numbers did not increase. These results show that normal adult brain and BBB is unaffected by exposure to TNF-alpha or HIV gpl20 and suggest that severity of brain disease is not directly affected by systemic levels of these compounds.
Petito
C K
CK
Department of Pathology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida, USA.
Adkins
B
B
Tracey
K
K
Roberts
B
B
Torres-Munoz
J
J
McCarthy
M
M
Czeisler
C
C
D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha