title: Nerve growth factor is an autocrine factor essential for the survival of macrophages infected with HIV.
abstract: Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin with the ability to exert specific effects on cells of the immune system. Human monocytes/macrophages (M/M) infected in vitro with HIV type 1 (HIV-1) are able to produce substantial levels of NGF that are associated with enhanced expression of the high-affinity NGF receptor (p140 trkA) on the M/M surface. Treatment of HIV-infected human M/M with anti-NGF Ab blocking the biological activity of NGF leads to a marked decrease of the expression of p140 trkA high-affinity receptor, a concomitant increased expression of p75(NTR) low-affinity receptor for NGF, and the occurrence of apoptotic death of M/M. Taken together, these findings suggest a role for NGF as an autocrine survival factor that rescues human M/M from the cytopathic effect caused by HIV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garaci
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Caroleo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aloe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aquaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amendola
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Micera
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caliò
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Perno
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Levi-Montalcini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology*; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA