Effect of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) monocyte-derived macrophages infection on the manganous superoxide dismutase gene expression.

Abstract Clinical and biological features indicate that a dysregulation of microbicidal activity occurs in the cells of mononuclear phagocytic lineage of HIV-1-infected patients. Thus, the regulation of MnSOD gene expression has been investigated during the 10 h following in vitro HIV macrophage infection. As previously reported, in HIV-1 LAI-infected macrophages a high expression of the MnSOD gene is observed 2 and 4 h after infection. These results are confirmed when cells are infected with three macrophage-tropic strains HIV-1 DAS, PAR and Bal. Moreover, the detection of the MnSOD gene expression in the macrophage cultures is associated with the cellular tropism of the viral strains used. The binding of recombinant GP160 by itself is not sufficient to induce MnSOD expression. In fact, the same MnSOD gene induction was obtained with the heat inactivated viral isolates, indicating that these phenomena are due to the viral entry. On the other hand, phagocytosis of latex beads triggers a high expression of the MnSOD gene in macrophages, showing that phagocytosis of HIV may be sufficient to induce the expression of that gene. Taken together, these results indicate that the MnSOD gene expression observed within 10 h following infection of macrophages is mainly related to membrane biophysical unspecific modifications.