Erythropoietin is neuroprotective in models of HIV sensory neuropathy

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 371; no. 2; pp. 102 - 105
• Main Authors: Keswani, Sanjay C., Leitz, Gerhard J., Hoke, Ahmet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 23-11-2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Axonal degeneration; Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; EPO; Erythropoietin; Erythropoietin - pharmacology; Erythropoietin - therapeutic use; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Ganglia, Spinal - drug effects; Ganglia, Spinal - physiology; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV neuropathy; HIV-1 - drug effects; HIV-1 - physiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use; Polyneuropathies - prevention & control; Polyneuropathies - virology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Neuroprotection; Erythropoietin; HIV neuropathy; EPO; Axonal degeneration; Virus; Nervous system diseases; Retroviridae; Degeneration; Models; Neuropathy; Human immunodeficiency virus; EPO: Neuroprotection: Axonal degeneration; Lentivirus
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.08.080

HIV-associated sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) is the most common neurological complication of HIV infection. Presently, there are no effective therapies for this painful neuropathy. The pathology of HIV-SN is characterized by ‘dying back’ sensory axonal degeneration and a more modest loss of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. It has been hypothesized that HIV-SN results from neurotoxicity by secreted viral proteins, such as the HIV envelope glycoprotein gp120. Furthermore, neurotoxicity by dideoxynucleoside (DDX) agents, results in the observed higher incidence of HIV-SN in HIV-infected patients taking these antiretroviral drugs. In this study we show that administration of picomolar amounts of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) prevents sensory axonal degeneration and in vitro DRG neuronal death by both gp120 and ddC (a neurotoxic DDX drug). Our results suggest that EPO may be useful in the treatment of HIV-SN.