Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 6, 2026
Analysis of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-specific CD8+ T-cells in Rhesus Macaques by Peptide-MHC-I Tetramer Staining
Published on: December 23, 2016
Analysis of putative mucosal SHIV susceptibility factors during repeated DMPA treatments in pigtail macaques
Katherine Butler1, Jana Ritter2, Shanon Ellis3
1Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Disease and Tuberculosis Prevention, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Background:
Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) has been associated in some studies with increased HIV susceptibility in women. We used a pigtail macaque model to document the effects of repeated DMPA treatments and their potential contribution to increased SHIV susceptibility.
Methods:
Nine pigtails were administered 2.5, 1.5, or 0.5 mg/kg DMPA in study weeks one and four. Menstrual cycling, vaginal epithelial thickness, and other SHIV susceptibility factors were monitored for a mean of 24 study weeks.
Results:
All DMPA treatments suppressed menstrual cycling and increased vaginal pH. The vaginal epithelium thinned naturally during baseline menstrual cycles (from mean of 351 to 161 μm in late-luteal phase). Following DMPA, the non-nucleated layer was temporarily absent. Two weeks post-second DMPA injection, mean epithelial thickness was 53, 45, and 167 μm for the descending doses, respectively.
Conclusions:
All animals showed temporal vaginal epithelial thinning with loss of the non-nucleated layer, and vaginal pH changes post-DMPA injections.
