The HIV glycoproteins gp41 and gp120 cause rapid excitation in rat cortical slices.

Inflammation and associated excitotoxicity may play important roles in various neurodegenerative diseases including AIDS dementia. Here we show that exposure of rat parietal cortical slices to the HIV glycoproteins gp120 and gp41 triggered very rapid releases of the neurotransmitters glutamate and [(3)H]noradrenaline (NA), and of the neuromodulator adenosine. Gp41 was more effective than gp120 at releasing glutamate and [(3)H]NA, while both glycoproteins were equi-effective at releasing adenosine. The responses to gp120 and gp41 declined rapidly to basal levels following their removal. It seems possible that rapid, inappropriate excitation may occur in the immediate vicinity of HIV infections in the brain, possibly producing some of the transient neurological and psychiatric symptoms associated with AIDS dementia.