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Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Unfolded Protein Response in HIV-1 Replication and Infectivity
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HIV-1 proteins dysregulate motivational processes and dopamine circuitry
Sarah J Bertrand1, Charles F Mactutus1, Steven B Harrod1
1Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
Scientific Reports
|May 20, 2018
Summary
Long-term exposure to HIV-1 proteins in rats reduced motivation for rewards, impacting goal-directed behaviors and potentially explaining apathy in HIV-1+ individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Virology
Background:
- Motivational deficits, like apathy, are observed in individuals with HIV-1.
- These alterations are linked to impaired frontal-subcortical brain circuitry function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of long-term Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) protein exposure on motivated behaviors.
- To explore the neurobiological underpinnings of apathy in HIV-1+ individuals using a transgenic rat model.
Main Methods:
- Utilized HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rats and control F344 rats.
- Assessed motivated behavior using sucrose and cocaine reinforcement under fixed-ratio and progressive-ratio schedules.
- Examined dopamine transporter (DAT) function and dopamine homeostasis in the striatum.
Main Results:
- HIV-1 Tg rats showed decreased response vigor for sucrose but no change in reinforcement sensitivity.
- Cocaine-maintained responding was attenuated in HIV-1 Tg rats, with reduced effort and dose-response efficacy.
- HIV-1 disrupted choice behavior between cocaine and sucrose, unlike controls, and altered striatal DAT function.
Conclusions:
- Long-term HIV-1 protein exposure impairs goal-directed behaviors and motivation.
- Altered motivated behaviors in HIV-1 Tg rats may reflect the neurobiological mechanisms underlying apathy in HIV-1+ patients.
- Findings highlight the impact of HIV-1 on brain circuitry involved in reward and motivation.
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