2. Academic Validation
  3. HIV-1 Tat drives the Fabp4/NF-κB feedback loop in microglia to mediate inflammatory response and neuronal apoptosis

HIV-1 Tat drives the Fabp4/NF-κB feedback loop in microglia to mediate inflammatory response and neuronal apoptosis

  • J Neurovirol. 2022 Sep 7. doi: 10.1007/s13365-022-01094-z.
Xiaodan Zhou  # 1,  Shuhui Zhou  # 2,  Jian Tao 1,  Yanan Gao 3,  Gaoqiang Meng 4,  Duo Cao 5,  Lin Gao 6
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Hematology, Affiliated Hospital 2 of Nantong University and First People's Hospital of Nantong City, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
  • 2 Department of Oncology, Nantong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
  • 3 Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
  • 4 Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital 2 of Nantong University and First People's Hospital of Nantong City, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
  • 5 College of Life Science, Yan'an University, Yan'an, 716000, People's Republic of China. caoduo2013@163.com.
  • 6 Medical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital 2 of Nantong University and First People's Hospital of Nantong City, Haier Lane North Road No. 6, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. NewDelhi_Metallo_1@163.com.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 36070137 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-022-01094-z
Abstract

Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are relevant to multiple neurodegenerative diseases. However, the roles and mechanisms of FABPs in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) remain yet unclear. In this study, cultured BV-2 microglial cells and HT-22 neuronal cells were used for in vitro experiments and HAND mouse models were constructed through intracerebroventricular injection of lentiviral vectors for in vivo experiments. FABP expression was determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. The interrelationship between Fabp4 and NF-κB signaling was investigated using chromatin immunoprecipitation, qRT-PCR, and Western blot. The role of Fabp4 in regulating inflammatory response was determined using qRT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, and immunofluorescence staining. Cell viability and Apoptosis were analyzed using cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry assay, respectively. Our results suggested an upregulation of Fabp4 expression in the presence of Tat. Tat-induced Fabp4 expression was directly regulated by NF-κB p65, followed by, Fabp4 facilitating Tat-activated NF-κB signaling pathway. We also observed that Fabp4 knockdown in microglial cells significantly suppressed inflammatory response and neuronal Apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, the presence of Tat in microglial cells results in Fabp4 and NF-κB to form a positive feedback loop leading to exacerbate inflammatory response and neuronal Apoptosis.

Keywords

Fabp4; HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder; Microglia; NF-κB; Neuroinflammation; Tat.

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