Abstract
Sex differences in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) have been repeatedly suggested. Females, who account for 51% of HIV-1 seropositive individuals, are inadequately represented in clinical and preclinical studies, as well as in the description of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Direct comparisons of neurocognitive decline in women and men must be made to address this underrepresentation. The effect of biological sex (i.e., the biological factors, including chromosomes and hormones, determining male or female characteristics; WHO, 2017) on sustained attention, which is commonly impaired in HIV-1 seropositive individuals, was investigated in intact HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) and control animals using a signal detection operant task. Analyses revealed a robust sex difference in the rate of task acquisition, collapsed across genotype, with female animals meeting criteria in shaping (at least 60 reinforcers for three consecutive or five non-consecutive sessions) and signal detection (70% accuracy for five consecutive or seven non-consecutive sessions) significantly more slowly than male animals. Presence of the HIV-1 transgene also had a significant effect on shaping and signal detection acquisition, with HIV-1 Tg animals displaying significant deficits in the rate of acquisition relative to control animals–deficits that were more prominent in female HIV-1 Tg animals. Once the animals’ reached asymptotic performance in the signal detection task, female animals achieved a lower percent accuracy across test sessions and exhibited a decreased response rate relative to male animals, although there was no compelling evidence for any effect of transgene. Results indicate that the factor of biological sex may be a moderator of the influence of the HIV-1 transgene on signal detection. Understanding the impact of biological sex on neurocognitive deficits in HIV-1 is crucial for the development of sex-based therapeutics and cure strategies.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 212 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Volume | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 6 2017 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported in part by grants from NIH (National Institute on Drug Abuse, DA013137; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, HD043680; National Institute of Mental Health, MH106392; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NS100624) and the interdisciplinary research training program supported by the University of South Carolina Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Program. We thank Elizabeth M. Balog, Iris K. Dayton, Madison R. Gassmann and Abigail Lafond for assistance with data collection. The authors also thank
Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by grants from NIH (National Institute on Drug Abuse, DA013137; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, HD043680; National Institute of Mental Health, MH106392; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NS100624) and the interdisciplinary research training program supported by the University of South Carolina Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Program. We thank Elizabeth M. Balog, Iris K. Dayton, Madison R. Gassmann and Abigail Lafond for assistance with data collection. The authors also thank Dr. Martin Starter for the generous sharing of his Med Associates computer programs for signal detection. Preliminary results were presented at the Society for Neuroimmune Pharmacology (2016) and the International Society for Neurovirology (2016).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 McLaurin, Booze, Mactutus and Fairchild.
Keywords
- Biological sex
- HIV-1 transgenic rat
- Neuroinflammation
- Sustained attention
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
