Blood-Brain Barrier Abnormalities Caused by HIV-1 gp120: Mechanistic and Therapeutic Implications
Figure 7
Role of oxidative stress in gp120-induced BBB disruption. (a) Cryostat sections of rat CP injected 1 hour earlier with saline or 500 ng gp120 were immunostained for HNE, a marker of lipid peroxidation, and RECA-1, a marker of endothelial cells. HNE immunoreactivity was seen in the CPs injected with gp120 and colocalized with RECA-1 while no HNE immunostaining was detected in CPs injected with saline. (b) Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were increased in the CPs injected with 500 ng gp120. (c) Prior gene delivery of antioxidant enzymes into the CP before injection of gp120 decreased the number of HNE-positive cells when compared with injection of the vector control SV(BUGT). (d) Gene delivery of antioxidant enzymes by SV40-derived vectors in the CP 1 month before the injection of gp120 into the same structure mitigated the extent of BBB breakdown after intra-CP injection of gp120, as demonstrated by spectrophotometry measurements of EB. (e) Fewer MMP-9-positive cells were observed with prior gene delivery of antioxidant enzymes into the CP before injection of gp120. SV(BUGT) was used as a control vector. Bar: (a) 80 μm; (c) 80 μm.
