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Rodriguez MT, McLaurin KA, Shtutman M, Kubinak JL, Mactutus CF, Booze RM. Therapeutically targeting the consequences of HIV-1-associated gastrointestinal dysbiosis: Implications for neurocognitive and affective alterations. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 229:173592. [PMID: 37390973 PMCID: PMC10494709 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 50 % of the individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are plagued by debilitating neurocognitive impairments (NCI) and/or affective alterations. Sizeable alterations in the composition of the gut microbiome, or gastrointestinal dysbiosis, may underlie, at least in part, the NCI, apathy, and/or depression observed in this population. Herein, two interrelated aims will be critically addressed, including: 1) the evidence for, and functional implications of, gastrointestinal microbiome dysbiosis in HIV-1 seropositive individuals; and 2) the potential for therapeutically targeting the consequences of this dysbiosis for the treatment of HIV-1-associated NCI and affective alterations. First, gastrointestinal microbiome dysbiosis in HIV-1 seropositive individuals is characterized by decreased alpha (α) diversity, a decreased relative abundance of bacterial species belonging to the Bacteroidetes phylum, and geographic-specific alterations in Bacillota (formerly Firmicutes) spp. Fundamentally, changes in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Bacillota spp. may underlie, at least in part, the deficits in γ-aminobutyric acid and serotonin neurotransmission, as well as prominent synaptodendritic dysfunction, observed in this population. Second, there is compelling evidence for the therapeutic utility of targeting synaptodendritic dysfunction as a method to enhance neurocognitive function and improve motivational dysregulation in HIV-1. Further research is needed to determine whether the therapeutics enhancing synaptic efficacy exert their effects by altering the gut microbiome. Taken together, understanding gastrointestinal microbiome dysbiosis resulting from chronic HIV-1 viral protein exposure may afford insight into the mechanisms underlying HIV-1-associated neurocognitive and/or affective alterations; mechanisms which can be subsequently targeted via novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason T Rodriguez
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, 1512 Pendleton Street, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Kristen A McLaurin
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, 1512 Pendleton Street, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Michael Shtutman
- Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, 715 Sumter Street, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Jason L Kubinak
- Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine Columbia, 6311 Garners Ferry Road, Building 2, Columbia, SC 29209, United States of America
| | - Charles F Mactutus
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, 1512 Pendleton Street, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Rosemarie M Booze
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, Barnwell College, 1512 Pendleton Street, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America.
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2
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McLaurin KA, Cranston MN, Li H, Mactutus CF, Harrod SB, Booze RM. Synaptic dysfunction is associated with alterations in the initiation of goal-directed behaviors: Implications for HIV-1-associated apathy. Exp Neurol 2022; 357:114174. [PMID: 35863502 PMCID: PMC9990912 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) exhibit an increased prevalence of neuropsychiatric comorbities (e.g., apathy) relative to their seronegative counterparts. Given the profound functional consequences associated with apathy, characterizing the multidimensional neuropsychiatric syndrome, and associated neural mechanisms, following chronic HIV-1 viral protein exposure remains a critical need. HIV-1-associated apathy was examined by quantifying goal-directed behaviors, indexed using voluntary wheel running, during the diurnal and nocturnal cycle. Apathetic behaviors in the HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rat were characterized by a profound decrease in the number of running bouts during both the diurnal and nocturnal cycle, supporting a prominent deficit in the self-initiation of spontaneous behaviors. Additionally, HIV-1 Tg animals exhibited a decreased reinforcing efficacy of voluntary wheel running during the nocturnal cycle. Following the completion of voluntary wheel running, synaptic dysfunction in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) was examined as a potential neural mechanism underlying HIV-1-associated apathy. HIV-1 Tg animals displayed prominent synaptic dysfunction in MSNs of the NAcc, characterized by enhanced dendritic branching complexity and a population shift towards an immature dendritic spine phenotype relative to control animals. Synaptic dysfunction, which accounted for 42.0% to 68.5% of the variance in the number of running bouts, was strongly associated with the self-initiation of spontaneous behaviors. Establishment of the relationship between synaptic dysfunction and apathy affords a key target for the development of novel therapeutics and cure strategies for affective alterations associated with HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen A McLaurin
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Michael N Cranston
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Hailong Li
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Charles F Mactutus
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Steven B Harrod
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America
| | - Rosemarie M Booze
- Cognitive and Neural Science Program, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, United States of America.
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3
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Royal W, Bryant J, Davis H, Guo M. Cigarette smoke and nicotine effects on behavior in HIV transgenic rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113591. [PMID: 34551347 PMCID: PMC9107950 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
HIV-related neurocognitive impairment can be worsened by cigarette smoking and be more severe in women. Therefore, we analyzed the effects of sex on behavioral function in HIV transgenic (Tg) rats that were exposed to either nicotine alone, to smoke from either nicotine-containing or nicotine-free cigarettes, or non-exposed. The animals were then assessed on the open field test for the total distance traveled and for the fraction of the total distance traveled and the total time spent in the center of the field, and the results then compared to WT rats subjected to the same exposures and testing. Higher total distances indicate greater locomotor activity and a higher center field measures imply a lower anxiety state. Total distances were overall higher for female and for Tg rats exposed to nicotine-free CS. Also, the total distance and both center field measures were overall higher for female rats in the control and nicotine-free CS-exposed groups. This was observed specifically for WT females as compared to WT males and, for the center field measures, for WT females as compared to Tg males. No genotype or sex-related differences were found for rats in the nicotine-free cigarette smoke (CS) and nicotine-containing CS exposed groups. Therefore, nicotine exposure did not impact genotype- and sex-related differences in motor responses and anxiety levels that were found in the control state. However, exposure to the non-nicotine components of CS resulted in locomotor activation in the presence of the HIV genes and was anxiogenic in WT and Tg male animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Royal
- Morehouse School of Medicine Department of Neurobiology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia; Atlanta VA Medical Center, USA; University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA.
| | - Joseph Bryant
- University of Maryland School Institute of Human Virology, USA; University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA
| | - Harry Davis
- University of Maryland School Institute of Human Virology, USA; University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA
| | - Ming Guo
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA
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4
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Haddad A, Voth B, Brooks J, Swang M, Carryl H, Algarzae N, Taylor S, Parker C, Van Rompay KKA, De Paris K, Burke MW. Reduced neuronal population in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in infant macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). J Neurovirol 2021; 27:923-935. [PMID: 34554407 PMCID: PMC8901521 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-021-01019-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric HIV infection remains a global health crisis with an estimated 150,000 new mother-to-child (MTCT) infections each year. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved childhood survival, but only an estimated 53% of children worldwide have access to treatment. Adding to the health crisis is the neurological impact of HIV on the developing brain, in particular cognitive and executive function, which persists even when ART is available. Imaging studies suggest structural, connectivity, and functional alterations in perinatally HIV-infected youth. However, the paucity of histological data limits our ability to identify specific cortical regions that may underlie the clinical manifestations. Utilizing the pediatric simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection model in infant macaques, we have previously shown that early-life SIV infection depletes the neuronal population in the hippocampus. Here, we expand on these previous studies to investigate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). A total of 11 ART-naïve infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) from previous studies were retrospectively analyzed. Infant macaques were either intravenously (IV) inoculated with highly virulent SIVmac251 at ~1 week of age and monitored for 6-10 weeks or orally challenged with SIVmac251 from week 9 of age onwards with a monitoring period of 10-23 weeks post-infection (19-34 weeks of age), and SIV-uninfected controls were euthanized at 16-17 weeks of age. Both SIV-infected groups show a significant loss of neurons along with evidence of ongoing neuronal death. Oral- and IV-infected animals showed a similar neuronal loss which was negatively correlated to chronic viremia levels as assessed by an area under the curve (AUC) analysis. The loss of dlPFC neurons may contribute to the rapid neurocognitive decline associated with pediatric HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Haddad
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Brittany Voth
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Janiya Brooks
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Melanie Swang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Heather Carryl
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Norah Algarzae
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
- King Saudi University, Riyadh, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Shane Taylor
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Camryn Parker
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA
| | - Koen K A Van Rompay
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Kristina De Paris
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Mark W Burke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Howard University, Washington, DC, 20059, USA.
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S-Equol mitigates motivational deficits and dysregulation associated with HIV-1. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11870. [PMID: 34088932 PMCID: PMC8178385 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91240-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Motivational deficits (e.g., apathy) and dysregulation (e.g., addiction) in HIV-1 seropositive individuals, despite treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy, necessitates the development of innovative adjunctive therapeutics. S-Equol (SE), a selective estrogen receptor β agonist, has been implicated as a neuroprotective and/or neurorestorative therapeutic for HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND); its therapeutic utility for motivational alterations, however, has yet to be systematically evaluated. Thus, HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) and control animals were treated with either a daily oral dose of SE (0.2 mg) or vehicle and assessed in a series of tasks to evaluate goal-directed and drug-seeking behavior. First, at the genotypic level, motivational deficits in HIV-1 Tg rats treated with vehicle were characterized by a diminished reinforcing efficacy of, and sensitivity to, sucrose. Motivational dysregulation was evidenced by enhanced drug-seeking for cocaine relative to control animals treated with vehicle. Second, treatment with SE ameliorated both motivational deficits and dysregulation in HIV-1 Tg rats. Following a history of cocaine self-administration, HIV-1 Tg animals treated with vehicle exhibited lower levels of dendritic branching and a shift towards longer dendritic spines with decreased head diameter. Treatment with SE, however, led to long-term enhancements in dendritic spine morphology in HIV-1 Tg animals supporting a potential underlying basis by which SE exerts its therapeutic effects. Taken together, SE restored motivated behavior in the HIV-1 Tg rat, expanding the potential clinical utility of SE to include both neurocognitive and affective alterations.
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Denton AR, Mactutus CF, Lateef AU, Harrod SB, Booze RM. Chronic SSRI treatment reverses HIV-1 protein-mediated synaptodendritic damage. J Neurovirol 2021; 27:403-421. [PMID: 34003469 PMCID: PMC8504184 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-021-00960-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 infection affects approximately 37 million individuals, and approximately 50% of seropositive individuals will develop symptoms of clinical depression and/or apathy. Dysfunctions of both serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission have been implicated in the pathogenesis of motivational alterations. The present study evaluated the efficacy of a SSRI (escitalopram) in the HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rat. Behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroanatomical outcomes with respect to HIV-1 and sex were evaluated to determine the efficacy of chronic escitalopram treatment. Escitalopram treatment restored function in each of the behavioral tasks that were sensitive to HIV-1-induced impairments. Further, escitalopram treatment restored HIV-1-mediated synaptodendritic damage in the nucleus accumbens; treatment with escitalopram significantly increased dendritic proliferation in HIV-1 Tg rats. However, restoration did not consistently occur with the neurochemical analysis in the HIV-1 rat. Taken together, these results suggest a role for SSRI therapies in repairing long-term HIV-1 protein-mediated neuronal damage and restoring function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Denton
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Charles F Mactutus
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Almeera U Lateef
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Steven B Harrod
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
| | - Rosemarie M Booze
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
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7
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Qrareya AN, Mahdi F, Kaufman MJ, Ashpole NM, Paris JJ. HIV-1 Tat promotes age-related cognitive, anxiety-like, and antinociceptive impairments in female mice that are moderated by aging and endocrine status. GeroScience 2021; 43:309-327. [PMID: 32940828 PMCID: PMC8050151 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-020-00268-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypogonadism is a common comorbidity associated with HIV-1 that is more prevalent among infected individuals over the age of 45. The underlying mechanisms are unknown, but both combined antiretroviral therapeutics and HIV-1 proteins, such as trans-activator of transcription protein (Tat), dysregulate steroid-synthetic mechanisms including lipid storage/synthesis and mitochondrial function. Thus, Tat expression may accelerate age-related comorbidities partly by impairing endocrine function. Few studies exist of Tat-mediated behavioral deficits in aged animals and effects of endocrine status have not been investigated. Accordingly, we tested whether conditional Tat expression in aged (~ 1.5 years old), female, Tat-transgenic [Tat(+)] mice increases anxiety-like behavior, impairs cognition, and augments mechanical allodynia, when compared to age-matched controls that do not express Tat protein [Tat(-)]. We further tested whether aged mice that maintained their endocrine status (pre-estropausal) were more resilient to Tat/age-related comorbidities than peri- or post-estropausal mice. Tat and endocrine aging status exerted separate and interacting effects that influenced anxiety-like and cognitive behaviors. Peri- and post-estropausal mice exhibited greater anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus-maze and impaired learning in the radial arm water maze compared to pre-estropausal mice. Irrespective of estropause status, Tat(+) mice demonstrated impaired learning, reduced grip strength, and mechanical allodynia compared to Tat(-) mice. Tat exposure reduced circulating estradiol in post-estropausal mice and increased the estradiol-to-testosterone ratio in pre-estropausal mice. Changes in circulating estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone correlated with grip strength. Thus, endocrine status is an important factor in age-related anxiety, cognition, neuromuscular function, and allodynia that can be accelerated by HIV-1 Tat protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa N Qrareya
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, 315 Faser Hall, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 38677-1848, USA
| | - Fakhri Mahdi
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, 315 Faser Hall, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 38677-1848, USA
| | - Marc J Kaufman
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Nicole M Ashpole
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, 315 Faser Hall, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 38677-1848, USA
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Jason J Paris
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, 315 Faser Hall, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS, 38677-1848, USA.
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA.
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Barbe MF, Loomis R, Lepkowsky AM, Forman S, Zhao H, Gordon J. A longitudinal characterization of sex-specific somatosensory and spatial memory deficits in HIV Tg26 heterozygous mice. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0244725. [PMID: 33382797 PMCID: PMC7775086 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus associated neurological disorders is still not well understood, yet is known to result in neurological declines despite combination anti-retroviral therapy. HIV-1 transgenic (Tg26) mice contain integrated non-infectious HIV-1 proviral DNA. We sought to assess the integrity of neurocognitive function and sensory systems in HIV-1 Tg26 mice using a longitudinal design, in both sexes, to examine both age- and sex-related disease progression. General neurological reflexive testing showed only acclimation to repeated testing by all groups. Yet, at 2.5 months of age, female Tg26 +/- mice showed hyposensitivity to noxious hot temperatures, compared to wild types (both sexes) and male Tg26 +/- mice, that worsened by 10 months of age. Female Tg26 +/- mice had short-term spatial memory losses in novel object location memory testing at 2.5 and 7 months, compared to female wild types; changes not observed in male counterparts. Female Tg26 +/- mice showed mild learning deficits and short- and long-term spatial memory deficits in olfactory and visually cued Barnes Maze testing at 3 months of age, yet greater learning and memory deficits by 8 months. In contrast, male Tg26 +/- mice displayed no learning deficits and fewer spatial memory deficits (mainly heading errors in nontarget holes). Thus, greater sex-specific temperature hyposensitivity and spatial memory declines were observed in female HIV Tg26 +/- mice, than in male Tg26 +/- mice, or their wild type littermates, that increased with aging. Additionally, tibial bones were examined using ex vivo micro-CT after tissue collection at 11 months. Sex-dependent increases in bone volume and trabecular number were seen in males, matching their greater weights at this age. These results indicate that HIV-1 Tg26 mice is a promising model in which to study neuropathic mechanisms underlying peripheral pathology as well as cognitive deficits seen with HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary F. Barbe
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Regina Loomis
- Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Neurovirology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Adam M. Lepkowsky
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Steven Forman
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Huaqing Zhao
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Gordon
- Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Neurovirology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
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9
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Pocuca N, Young JW, MacQueen DA, Letendre S, Heaton RK, Geyer MA, Perry W, Grant I, Minassian A. Sustained attention and vigilance deficits associated with HIV and a history of methamphetamine dependence. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 215:108245. [PMID: 32871507 PMCID: PMC7811354 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated neurocognitive disorders persist in the era of antiretroviral therapy. One factor that is elevated among persons with HIV (PWH) and independently associated with neurocognitive impairment is methamphetamine dependence (METH). Such dependence may further increase cognitive impairment among PWH, by delaying HIV diagnosis (and thus, antiretroviral therapy initiation), which has been posited to account for persistent cognitive impairment among PWH, despite subsequent treatment-related viral load suppression (VLS; <50 copies of the virus per milliliter in plasma or cerebrospinal fluid). This study examined the main and interactive (additive versus synergistic) effects of HIV and history of METH on the sustained attention and vigilance cognitive domain, while controlling for VLS. METHODS Participants included 205 (median age = 44 years; 77% males; HIV-/METH- n = 67; HIV+/METH - n = 49; HIV-/METH+ n = 36; HIV+/METH+ n = 53) individuals enrolled in the Translational Methamphetamine AIDS Research Center, who completed Conners' and the 5-Choice continuous performance tests (CPTs). RESULTS METH participants exhibited deficits in sustained attention and vigilance; however, these effects were not significant after excluding participants who had a positive urine toxicology screen for methamphetamine. Controlling for VLS, PWH did not have worse sustained attention and vigilance, but consistently displayed slower reaction times across blocks, relative to HIV- participants. There was no HIV x METH interaction on sustained attention and vigilance. CONCLUSIONS Recent methamphetamine use among METH people and detectable viral loads are detrimental to sustained attention and vigilance. These findings highlight the need for prompt diagnosis of HIV and initiation of antiretroviral therapy, and METH use interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Pocuca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States.
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States; Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - David A MacQueen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States; Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Scott Letendre
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States
| | - Robert K Heaton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States
| | - Mark A Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States; Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - William Perry
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States
| | - Igor Grant
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States
| | - Arpi Minassian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, United States; VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Administration San Diego HealthCare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA, 92161, United States
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10
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McLaurin KA, Li H, Cook AK, Booze RM, Mactutus CF. S-EQUOL: a neuroprotective therapeutic for chronic neurocognitive impairments in pediatric HIV. J Neurovirol 2020; 26:704-718. [PMID: 32870477 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-020-00886-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Chronic neurocognitive impairments, commonly associated with pediatric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (PHIV), are a detrimental consequence of early exposure to HIV-1 viral proteins. Strong evidence supports S-Equol (SE) as an efficacious adjunctive neuroprotective and/or neurorestorative therapeutic for neurocognitive impairments in adult ovariectomized female HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rats. There remains, however, a critical need to assess the therapeutic efficacy of SE when treatment occurs at an earlier age (i.e., resembling a therapeutic for children with PHIV) and across the factor of biological sex. Utilization of a series of signal detection operant tasks revealed prominent, sex-dependent neurocognitive deficits in the HIV-1 Tg rat, characterized by alterations in stimulus-reinforcement learning, the response profile, and temporal processing. Early (i.e., postnatal day 28) initiation of SE treatment precluded the development of chronic neurocognitive impairments in all (i.e., 100%) HIV-1 Tg animals, albeit not for all neurocognitive domains. Most notably, the therapeutic effects of SE are generalized across the factor of biological sex, despite the presence of endogenous hormones. Results support, therefore, the efficacy of SE as a neuroprotective therapeutic for chronic neurocognitive impairments in the post-cART era; an adjunctive therapeutic that demonstrates high efficacy in both males and females. Optimizing treatment conditions by evaluating multiple factors (i.e., age, neurocognitive domains, and biological sex) associated with PHIV and HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) affords a key opportunity to improve the therapeutic efficacy of SE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen A McLaurin
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Hailong Li
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Anna K Cook
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Rosemarie M Booze
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Charles F Mactutus
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
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Selective Estrogen Receptor β Agonists: a Therapeutic Approach for HIV-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2019; 15:264-279. [PMID: 31858373 PMCID: PMC7266801 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-019-09900-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The persistence of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) in the post-cART era, afflicting between 40 and 70% of HIV-1 seropositive individuals, supports a critical need for the development of adjunctive therapeutic treatments. Selective estrogen receptor β agonists, including S-Equol (SE), have been implicated as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of neurocognitive disorders. In the present study, the therapeutic efficacy of 0.2 mg SE for the treatment of HAND was assessed to address two key questions in the HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rat. First, does SE exhibit robust therapeutic efficacy when treatment is initiated relatively early (i.e., between 2 and 3 months of age) in the course of viral protein exposure? Second, does the therapeutic utility of SE generalize across multiple neurocognitive domains? Treatment with SE enhanced preattentive processes and stimulus-response learning to the level of controls in all (i.e., 100%) HIV-1 Tg animals. For sustained and selective attention, statistically significant effects were not observed in the overall analyses (Control: Placebo, n = 10, SE, n = 10; HIV-1 Tg: Placebo, n = 10, SE, n = 10). However, given our a priori hypothesis, subsequent analyses were conducted, revealing enhanced sustained and selective attention, approximating controls, in a subset (i.e., 50%, n = 5 and 80%, n = 8, respectively) of HIV-1 Tg animals treated with SE. Thus, the therapeutic efficacy of SE is greater when treatment is initiated relatively early in the course of viral protein exposure and generalizes across neurocognitive domains, supporting an adjunctive therapeutic for HAND in the post-cART era. HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) and control animals were treated with either 0.2 mg S-Equol (SE) or placebo between 2 and 3 months of age (Control: Placebo, n = 10, SE, n = 10; HIV-1 Tg: Placebo, n = 10, SE, n = 10). Neurocognitive assessments, tapping preattentive processes, stimulus response learning, sustained attention and selective attention, were conducted to evaluate the utility of SE as a therapeutic for HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Planned comparisons between HIV-1 Tg and control animals treated with placebo were utilized to establish a genotype effect, revealing prominent neurocognitive impairments (NCI) in the HIV-1 Tg rat across all domains. Furthermore, to establish the utility of SE, HIV-1 Tg animals treated with SE were compared to control animals treated with placebo. Treatment with 0.2 mg SE ameliorated NCI, to levels that were indistinguishable from controls, in at least a subset (i.e., 50–100%) of HIV-1 Tg animals. Thus, SE supports an efficacious, adjunctive therapeutic for HAND. ![]()
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