Control of Retrovirus CNS Disease by redox modulation

描述（由申请人提供）：人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）介导的中枢神经系统（CMS）细胞死亡的潜在机制尚未明确，但有证据表明，氧化应激在HIV相关痴呆（HAD）的神经发病机制中起关键作用。目前已建立了多种HAD小鼠模型，但适合研究HAD中氧化应激和细胞死亡途径的模型较少。在我们的HAD模型中，FVB/N小鼠感染了一种名为te 1的莫洛尼鼠白血病病毒突变体，这种突变体导致进行性神经免疫变性，在许多方面与HAD相似。在HAD中，神经胶质细胞被te 1感染，但神经元没有，尽管神经元丢失是CMS中最严重的病理特征。我们实验室的工作主要集中在氧化应激在te 1感染的星形胶质细胞死亡中的作用，以及通过抗氧化治疗预防神经变性（ND）。我们假设te 1介导的氧化应激导致星形胶质细胞功能障碍，功能障碍的星形胶质细胞无法支持附近的神经元，神经元因此死亡。为了支持这一观点，我们已经证明了活性氧（ROS）在te 1感染的星形胶质细胞中积累。用称为GVT（α-鲁米诺）的抗氧化剂治疗可减少ROS积累，并防止te 1感染的星形胶质细胞和te 1感染小鼠CNS中的细胞死亡。我们还发现，p53磷酸化发生在te 1感染小鼠的星形胶质细胞和神经元中，这些细胞的死亡可能涉及p53依赖性细胞死亡途径的激活。此外，te 1感染的星形胶质细胞通过激活共济失调毛细血管扩张突变（ATM），细胞外信号调节激酶（ERK）和雷帕霉素的哺乳动物靶标（mTOR）来响应ROS的增加。所有这三种激酶都被证明能够磷酸化p53。在te 1感染的星形胶质细胞中，p53靶向促凋亡因子p53 A、Bax和细胞周期抑制因子p21上调，抗凋亡因子Bcl-2和Bcl-xL降低。已知所有这些事件都发生在HAD中。我们推测，类似的细胞死亡机制有助于te 1相关的ND和HAD。因此，我们的目标是了解te 1介导的ND中星形胶质细胞功能障碍和神经元死亡的机制。我们将专注于三个具体目标：1）确定p53如何促进氧化应激; 2）确认神经元通过星形胶质细胞共享的途径被氧化应激损伤; 3）确定抗氧化剂和巯基补充剂是否为星形胶质细胞和神经元提供保护。我们的研究可能会发现新的目标，为治疗HAD和其他神经退行性疾病与氧化应激，p53激活和线粒体死亡途径。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The mechanisms underlying human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-mediated cell death in the central nervous system (CMS) are not well defined, but evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a critical role in neuropathogenesis in HIV-associated dementia (HAD). Several mouse models of HAD have been developed, but few are suitable to the study of oxidative stress and cell death pathways in HAD. In our model of HAD, FVB/N mice are infected with a mutant of the Moloney murine leukemia virus, called te1, which causes progressive neuroimmunodegeneration that is in many ways similar to that of HAD. As in HAD, glial cells are infected by te1, but neurons are not, although neuronal loss is the most severe pathological feature in the CMS. Work in our lab has focused on the role of oxidative stress in the death of te1 -infected astrocytes, and on prevention of neurodegeneration (ND) via antioxidant treatment. We hypothesize that te1 -mediated oxidative stress causes astrocyte dysfunction, that dysfunctional astrocytes are unable to support nearby neurons, and that neurons die as a result. In support of this idea, we have demonstrated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulate in te1-infected astrocytes. Treatment with an antioxidant called GVT (a-luminol) decreases ROS accumulation and prevents cell death in te1-infected astrocytes and in CNS of te1-infected mice. We have also shown that p53 phosphorylation occurs in astrocytes and neurons of te1 -infected mice, and that death of these cells may involve activation of p53-dependent cell death pathways. Further, te1- infected astrocytes respond to ROS increases via activation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). All these three kinases have been shown to be able to phosphorylate p53. In te1 -infected astrocytes, the p53-target proapoptotic factors PUMA, Bax, and cell cycle inhibitor p21 are upregulated, and the antiapoptotic factors Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL decrease. All of these events are known to occur in HAD. We hypothesize that similar cell death mechanisms contribute to te1 -associated ND and HAD. Our goal is therefore to understand the mechanisms underlying astrocyte dysfunction and neuronal death in te1 -mediated ND. We will focus on three specific aims: 1) to determine how p53 contributes to oxidative stress; 2) to confirm that neurons are damaged by oxidative stress through pathways shared by astrocytes; and 3) to determine whether antioxidants and thiol-repleting agents provide protection for astrocytes and neurons. Our studies may identify new targets for treatment of HAD and of other neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress, p53 activation and the mitochondrial death pathway.