Intranasal insulin therapy reverses hippocampal dendritic injury and cognitive impairment in a model of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders in EcoHIV-infected mice.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Almost half of HIV-positive people on antiretroviral therapy have demonstrable mild neurocognitive impairment (HIV-NCI), even when virologically suppressed. Intranasal insulin therapy improves cognition in Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. Here we tested intranasal insulin therapy in a model of HIV-NCI in EcoHIV-infected conventional mice.

Design and methods

Insulin pharmacokinetics following intranasal administration to mice was determined by ELISA. Mice were inoculated with EcoHIV to cause NCI; 23 days or 3 months after infection they were treated daily for 9 days with intranasal insulin (2.4 IU/mouse) and examined for NCI in behavioral tests and HIV burdens by quantitative PCR. Some animals were tested for hippocampal neuronal integrity by immunostaining and exp

SUBMITTER: Kim BH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6457131 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature