Abstract
HIV infection at late stages is associated with neurological complications including impaired motor and cognitive functions. We used simian immunodeficiency (SIV)-infected rhesus monkeys, an animal model of HIV infection, to investigate changes in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, a biochemical marker of cognitive function, in post-mortem brains during early, asymptomatic SIV infection and AIDS. ChAT activity was dramatically reduced in putamen and hippocampus already during asymptomatic infection. In animals with AIDS, ChAT activity was further decreased. The reduction of ChAT was not related to brain viral load or CNS pathological lesions. Our results demonstrate deficits in ChAT activity already during the first months of SIV infection and imply that cognitive dysfunction may occur early in immunodeficiency viral infections.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
AIDS Dementia Complex / metabolism*
-
AIDS Dementia Complex / pathology
-
AIDS Dementia Complex / physiopathology
-
Animals
-
Biomarkers / analysis
-
Brain / metabolism*
-
Brain / pathology
-
Brain / physiopathology
-
Brain / virology
-
Choline O-Acetyltransferase / metabolism*
-
Disease Models, Animal
-
Hippocampus / metabolism
-
Hippocampus / pathology
-
Hippocampus / physiopathology
-
Hippocampus / virology
-
Macaca mulatta / anatomy & histology
-
Macaca mulatta / metabolism
-
Neurons / metabolism*
-
Neurons / pathology
-
Neurons / virology
-
Prognosis
-
Putamen / metabolism
-
Putamen / pathology
-
Putamen / physiopathology
-
Putamen / virology
-
Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / metabolism*
-
Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / pathology
-
Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / physiopathology
-
Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / metabolism*
-
Time Factors
-
Viral Load / statistics & numerical data
Substances
-
Biomarkers
-
Choline O-Acetyltransferase