REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBRANE LIPID-PEROXIDATION IN HIV-1 GP120-INDUCED NEUROBLASTOMA CELL-DEATH

The HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 engenders Ca2+-mediated, excitotoxic damage of rodent neuronal and human neuroblastoma cells in culture. He re we report that human CHP100 neuroblastoma cells undergo early perox idation of membrane lipids following a brief exposure to gp120. This e ffect is prevented by preincubating cell cultures with the 21-aminoste roid U-74389G, an inhibitor of membrane lipid peroxidation, which also rescues neuroblastoma cultures from gp120-induced cell death; convers ely, no protection from cell death is observed when the 21-aminosteroi d is added to neuroblastoma cultures after the induction of membrane l ipid peroxidation by gp120. These data indicate that membrane lipid pe roxidation has a causative role in the expression of cell death produc ed by the viral protein. (C) 1998 Academic Press.