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HIV-1 Transgenic Female Rat: Synaptodendritic Alterations of Medium Spiny Neurons in the Nucleus Accumbens

Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology, ISSN: 1557-1904, Vol: 9, Issue: 5, Page: 642-653
2014
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Article Description

HIV-1 associated neurocognitive deficits are increasing in prevalence, although the neuronal basis for these deficits is unclear. HIV-1 Tg rats constitutively express 7 of 9 HIV-associated proteins, and may be useful for studying the neuropathological substrates of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). In this study, adult female HIV-1 Tg rats and F344 control rats had similar growth rates, estrous cyclicity and startle reflex inhibition to a visual prepulse stimulus. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) were ballistically-labeled utilizing the indocarbocyanine dye DiI. The branching complexity of MSNs in the NAcc was significantly decreased in HIV-1 Tg rats, relative to controls; moreover, the shorter length and decreased volume of dendritic spines, but unchanged head diameter, in HIV-1 Tg rats suggested a reduction of longer spines and an increase in shorter, less projected spines, indicating a population shift to a more immature spine phenotype. Collectively, these results from HIV-1 Tg female rats indicated significant synaptodendritic alterations of MSNs in the NAcc occur as a consequence of chronic, low-level, exposure to HIV-1 associated proteins.

Bibliographic Details

Robert F. Roscoe Jr.; Charles F. Mactutus; Rosemarie M. Booze

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Neuroscience; Medicine; Immunology and Microbiology; Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

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