Regulation of HIV-1 infection in astrocytes: Expression of Nef, TNF-α and IL-6 is enhanced in coculture of astrocytes with macrophages

‘Restricted’ human immunodeficiency virus type (HTV-1) infection of astrocytes is recognized in vivo in some pediatric and adult AIDS brains and in vitro in a small proportion of transfected primary fetal astrocytes. We investigated the extent of HTV-1JR-FL. expression in fetal astrocytes and macrophages cultivated alone or together. Peak HIV-1 p24 antigen titres in supernatant fluids of macrophage cultures were increased with monocyte/macrophages from certain donors and were higher when macrophages were cocultivated with astrocytes. Structural HTV-1 gene (gp 41 and pot) products (protein and mRNA) were observed only in macrophages. Ten days after HTV-1JR-FL infection, astrocytes in a monoculture were stained negative or only weakly positive (1 - 2+) for Nef, whereas in a coculture up to 100% of astrocytes displayed Nef staining (up to 4+) in the cytoplasm. The streptavidine-biotine-peroxidase technique with certain monoclonal antibodies to Nef (Ovod et al, 1992) was specific for infected astrocytes. The ...