Memantine Attenuates Cocaine and neuroHIV Neurotoxicity in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex.

ABSTRACT: Individuals with substance use disorder are at a higher risk of contracting HIV and progress more rapidly to AIDS as drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, potentiate the neurotoxic effects of HIV-associated proteins including, but not limited to, HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat) and the envelope protein Gp120. Neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration are hallmarks of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders (HANDs), which are hypothesized to occur secondary to excitotoxicity from NMDA-induced neuronal calcium dysregulation, which could be targeted with NMDA antagonist drugs. Multiple studies have examined how Gp120 affects calcium influx and how cocaine potentiates this influx; however, they mostly focused on single cells and did not analyze effects in neuronal and vascular brain networ

SUBMITTER: Du C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9174902 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature