[AIDS and sleep disorders: effect of gp120 on cerebral glucose metabolism]

The neurological complications associated with infection by the AIDS virus, HIV, occurs at an early stage of the disease and often indicate a poor prognosis. A dementia, known as AIDS Dementia Complex, is the most common feature observed, and is found in a majority of patients. The effects of gp120, the external protein envelope of HIV, on cerebral glucose utilization were studied in rats. Intracerebroventricular injection of gp120 significantly reduced glucose utilization in the lateral habenula and the suprachiasmatic nucleus, two regions rich in receptors for Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) and the whole brain metabolism showed a significant decrease. The findings suggest that gp120 may alter neuronal function, thereby contributing to sequelae of HIV infection of the brain, and that attachment of HIV particles may involve, for a part, VIP receptors.