Aberrant cortical neurogenesis in a pediatric neuroAIDS model: neurotrophic effects of growth hormone.

Objective: To study the effects of HIV-1 and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) on neural stem cell viability, together with the neurotrophic properties of growth hormone (GH) in models of pediatric neuroAIDS. Design and methods: Mouse neural stem cells were infected in vitro with a Sindbis virus vector (SIN-HIVenv) expressing the envelope protein from the brain-derived HIV-1 strain JR-FL using a vector expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (SIN-EGFP) as control. Cell survival and alterations in expression of neural stem cell markers upon GH treatment was assessed. Neonatal cats were infected with a neurovirulent FIV strain and 6 weeks after infection treated with GH for 6 weeks. Twelve weeks post-infection, neural progenitor cell marker expression, neuronal loss and neuroinflammation in brain were examined using real time reverse transcription-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses. Results: HIV-1 envelope expression in neural stem cells reduced nestin expression (P < 0.05) and induced cell death (P < 0.001), which was blocked by GH. In the frontal cortex of FIV-infected cats neuroinflammation, loss of differentiated neurons (P < 0.01) and aberrant neuronal progenitor cell gene expression (P < 0.05) were observed. FIV envelope expression was detected in neural progenitor and monocytoid cells. GH treatment of FIV-infected animals induced insulin-like growth factor-1 expression in neurons (P < 0.01), enhanced neuronal survival (P < 0.01) and increased nestin expression (P < 0.05). Moreover, improved neurobehavioral performance (P < 0.01) and immunological status (P < 0.001) were observed, among GH-treated animals infected with FIV. Conclusion: GH protects neural stem cells that are susceptible to lentivirus-mediated injury. Thus, GH may be a potential treatment for pediatric neuroAIDS because of its neurotrophic actions.