PREVENTION OF HIV COAT PROTEIN (GP120) TOXICITY IN CORTICAL CELL-CULTURES BY RILUZOLE

Neurological complications observed in HIV-infected patients are very frequent. Neocortical lesions include reduced neuronal density due to neuronal degeneration. The HIV envelope protein gp120 has potent neuro toxic properties in cell cultures blocked either by NMDA antagonists o r calcium channel antagonists. Moreover, human monocytoid cell lines i nfected by HIV release endogenous toxic factors with comparable cellul ar actions. We have analysed the effects of riluzole, a compound reduc ing the excitatory amino acid release on gp120-induced neurotoxicity i n primary neuronal cultures. Riluzole, which blocks the release of glu tamate and aspartate from nerve terminals, prevents (10(-7) M) the neu ronal degeneration produced by 20 pM of gp120 in cortical cell culture s. This result could suggest that toxic factors produced by activated macrophages might increase glutamate release, and that this may be pre vented by riluzole.