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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Mar 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2013 Jul 6;9(2):80–91. doi: 10.1007/s11481-013-9488-y

Figure 2. Neurotrophic factors hypothesis of HIV neurotoxicity.

Figure 2

HIV, through gp120 binding to chemokine receptors, reduces neurotrophic factor levels. Many mechanisms can account for this effect. The example described in this figure pertains to BDNF. (A) Rat cortical neurons without HIV are healthy and exhibit numerous processes. (B) HIV, through gp120, decreases the processing of mature BDNF from pro-BDNF. This phenomenon would result in less BDNF and more pro-BDNF available to neurons whose axons degenerate through a p75NTR-mediated mechanism. (C) Examples of HIV-mediated degeneration showing synaptodendritic damage (arrows) of cortical neurons. Green=class III β– tubulin; Blue=DAPI. Bar = 20 μm.