Antioxidant could prevent HIV-associated dementia

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Experiments show that N-acetylcysteine amide can block cell death in a model of HIV-associated dementia.
Around a third of adults and half of children with AIDS develop HIV-associated dementia. This leads to cognitive impairment and tremors, among other symptoms. Doctors at the University of Missouri now report on the effect of an antioxidant N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA) in a model of the disease.

The study shows that toxic proteins from HIV enter the blood-brain barrier and cause oxidative stress in cells. This leads to cell death and could be the underlying cause of HIV-associated dementia. NACA, which is a potent antioxidant, was able to prevent this process. In previous work, a related compound - N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) - was found to combat oxidative stress in lead poisoning and radiation exposure. NAC is used to treat acetaminophen overdose. NACA has the advantage of passing more easily through cell membranes which the researchers feel may help it cross the blood-brain barrier and so treat oxidative stress in the brain. The research is now progressing in genetically modified animals so the effects of the toxic HIV proteins can be studied further.

Source
University of Missouri-Rolla 25th May 2006

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