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

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Abstract

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.

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Abbreviations

HAND:

HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders

MSNs:

Medium spiny neurons

NAcc:

Nucleus accumbens

DiI:

1-1'-Dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'- tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate

HIV-1:

Human immunodeficiency virus-1

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by funds from NIH grants DA013137, DA031604, DA035714 and HD043680. The authors thank Dr. Landhing M. Moran for expert consultation regarding behavioral techniques. The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 29208, Columbia, SC, USA

    Robert F. Roscoe Jr., Charles F. Mactutus & Rosemarie M. Booze

  2. Barnwell College Bldg, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, 29208, Columbia, SC, USA

    Rosemarie M. Booze

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  1. Robert F. Roscoe Jr.
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Roscoe, R.F., Mactutus, C.F. & Booze, R.M. HIV-1 Transgenic Female Rat: Synaptodendritic Alterations of Medium Spiny Neurons in the Nucleus Accumbens. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 9, 642–653 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11481-014-9555-z

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