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Updated: Oct 21, 2026
Cerebrospinal Fluid MicroRNA Profiling Using Quantitative Real Time PCR
Published on: January 22, 2014
Chemokine receptor mRNA expression at the in vitro blood-brain barrier during HIV infection
1Drug Design and Development, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Gerontology Research Center, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224-6825, USA.
Abstract:
Viral entry through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has not been fully defined and identification of coreceptors that can facilitate this phenomenon is crucial in understanding disease progression. Using a RNAse protection assay to examine chemokine receptor families simultaneously, we analyzed the total RNA of in vitro BBB cultures treated with purified preparations of HIV gp120, gp41, TAT proteins and TNF-alpha. HIV tat protein affected CCRI and CCR3 mRNA expression whereas the other viral by-products had no effect. Interestingly, TNF-alpha was able to induce CCR1, CCR3 as well as CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCR4 receptors and Burkitt's lymphoma receptor BLR2. These results suggest that HIV-induced molecules can manipulate the surface receptor expression of the BBB to allow for their preferential entry into brain.
