Exposure of human astrocytes to leukotriene C4 promotes a CX3CL1/fractalkine-mediated transmigration of HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells across an in vitro blood-brain barrier model

•LTC4-treated astrocytes promote transmigration of HIV-1-infected T cells across BBB.•Higher cell migration is linked with secretion by astrocytes of CX3CL1/fractalkine.•The cysteinyl leukotriene LTC4 contributes to HIV-1-associated neuropathogenesis.

Eicosanoids, including cysteinylleukotrienes (cysLTs), are found in the central nervous system (CNS) of individuals infected with HIV-1. Few studies have addressed the contribution of cysLTs in HIV-1-associated CNS disorders. We demonstrate that conditioned medium from human astrocytes treated with leukotriene C4 (LTC4) increases the transmigration of HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells across an in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model using cultured brain endothelial cells. Additional studies indicate that the higher cell migration is linked with secretion by astrocytes of CX3CL1/fractalkine, a chemokine that has chemoattractant activity for CD4+ T cells. Moreover, we report that the enhanced cell migration across BBB leads to a more important CD4+ T cell-mediated HIV-1 transfer toward macrophages. Altogether data presented in the present study reveal the important role that LTC4, a metabolite of arachidonic acid, may play in the HIV-1-induced neuroinvasion, neuropathogenesis and disease progression.