Document 0916
 DOCN  M9540916
 TI    Increased concentrations of the neurotoxin 3-hydroxykynurenine in the
       frontal cortex of HIV-1-positive patients.
 DT    9504
 AU    Sardar AM; Bell JE; Reynolds GP; Department of Biomedical Science,
       University of Sheffield,; England, UK.
 SO    J Neurochem. 1995 Feb;64(2):932-5. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/95131220
 AB    Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-associated dementia is a frequent
       consequence of HIV infection and is associated with neuronal deficits.
       Increased concentrations of the kynurenine pathway metabolites
       3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HK) and quinolinic acid (QA) may contribute to
       this neuronal damage. We measured 3-HK concentrations and the activity
       of its catabolising enzyme, 3-hydroxykynureninase, in postmortem brain
       tissue from eight controls and 32 HIV-positive patients, including a
       group that exhibited dementia. 3-HK concentrations were significantly
       increased (over threefold) in the HIV-positive group when compared with
       controls. This increase was greater in those patients with dementia, but
       it was still apparent in the nondemented cases. 3-Hydroxykynureninase
       activity was significantly increased in the HIV-infected group compared
       with the control values. The effect was apparent in both nondementia and
       dementia cases, although the latter showed a slightly greater increase.
       The 3-HK content increase is thus unrelated to a reduction in activity
       of this enzyme and is likely to reflect an overall increase in the
       kynurenic metabolic pathway. Elevated levels of the neurotoxin 3-HK may
       contribute to the neuronal deficits underlying HIV-associated dementia.
 DE    Adult  AIDS Dementia Complex/METABOLISM  Female  Frontal
       Lobe/*METABOLISM  Human  HIV Seropositivity/*METABOLISM
       HIV-1/*IMMUNOLOGY  Kynurenine/*ANALOGS & DERIVATIVES/METABOLISM  Male
       Neurotoxins/*METABOLISM  Osmolar Concentration  Reference Values
       Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

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