title: Attenuation of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis by minocycline prevents retrovirus-induced neurodegeneration in mice.
abstract: The ts1 mutant of the Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) causes neurodegeneration in infected mice that resembles HIV-associated dementia. We have shown previously that ts1 infects glial cells in the brain, but not neurons. The most likely mechanism for ts1-mediated neurodegeneration is loss of glial redox support and glial cell toxicity to neurons. Minocycline has been shown to have neuroprotective effects in various models of neurodegeneration. This study was designed to determine whether and how minocycline prevents paralysis and death in ts1-infected mice. We show here that minocycline delays neurodegeneration in ts1-infected mice, and that it prevents death of cultured astrocytes infected by ts1 through attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. Although minocycline reduces virus titers in the CNS of infected mice, it does not affect virus titers in infected mice thymi, spleens or infected C1 astrocytes. In addition, minocycline prevents death of primary neurons when they are cocultured with ts1-infected astrocytes, through mechanisms involving both inhibition of oxidative stress and upregulation of the transcription factor NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which controls cellular antioxidant defenses. We conclude that minocycline delays retrovirus ts1-induced neurodegeneration involving antioxidant, anti-inflammation and anti-apoptotic mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Carcinogenesis, University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park-Research Division, 1808 Park Road 1-C, PO Box 389, Smithville, TX 78957, USA.
authors.forename: Xianghong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Virginia L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Scofield
authors.forename: Mingshan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stoica
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Paul K Y
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D051379:Mice; D008911:Minocycline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008979:Moloney murine leukemia virus; D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D051267:NF-E2-Related Factor 2; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D008911:Minocycline