MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS ENHANCES INOS MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION ANDHIV REPLICATION IN HUMAN ASTROCYTOMA-CELLS

THE aim of this study was to investigate whether Mycobacterium tubercu losis (MTB) infection affects human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) repli cation in T67 human astrocytoma cells and whether HIV and MTB infectio ns induce iNOS mRNA expression in T67 cells. T67 cells were susceptibl e to both HIVLai and MTB infections, and MTB was able to increase HIV infection in T67 cells, as demonstrated by a marked increase in p24 re lease. Furthermore, both HIV and MTB infections strongly induced induc ible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression, as verified by RT-P CR. These findings suggest that HIV and MTB-induced iNOS expression of astroglial cells may be involved in the neuronal damage associated wi th HIV infection, particularly in the presence of opportunistic infect ions such as tuberculosis.