HCMV induces dysregulation of glutamate uptake and transporter expression in human fetal astrocytes.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections are the leading cause of viral induced birth defects, affecting the central nervous system (CNS) primarily. Fetal CNS is especially vulnerable to CMV induced injury. As HCMV permissive cells, astrocytes are responsible for major glutamate transport and regulate extracellular levels of glutamate avoiding its accumulation which is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, highly purified astrocytes isolated from human first trimester aborted fetal brain were infected with HCMV AD169, glutamate uptake function was detected by (3)H labeling technic, and the expression level alterations of glutamate transporters (GLAST, GLT-1), glutamine synthetase (GS) and its activity were also investigated. Protein kinases C (PKC) inhibitor treatment was to identify whether PKC signalling involved in regulating glutamate uptake, protein expression of GLAST, GLT-1, GS and GS activity. Results indicated HCMV AD169 infection could modulate glutamate uptake, expression levels of GLAST, GLT-1, GS and it activity through PKC signalling, suggesting a great susceptibility of human fetal astrocytes to HCMV infection, which significantly alters the uptake and metabolism of an important excitatory amino acid, glutamate, may be a potential mechanism for HCMV associated neurological disease, and an effective therapeutic target in neural diseases.