Pharmacological Modulation of HIV-Tat Induced Pathology

Doxycycline hyclate (Cayman Chemical, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) was made fresh daily to a dose of 30 mg/kg in sterile saline (0.9% w/v) and injected via intraperitoneal (i.p.) route once daily for 5 days. Oxycodone HCl (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) was dissolved to a concentration of 3.0 mg/kg in sterile saline and injected i.p. 15 min prior to behavioral testing (see Figure 1A). The present dose of oxycodone (3.0 mg/kg) was identified as the minimum effective dose to diverge psychomotor responding between Tat(−) and Tat(+) mice [43 (link)]. To pharmacologically block CRF-receptors, mice were administered antalarmin (Cayman Chemical) dissolved in 30% Kolliphor (70% sterile saline) to a dose of 20.0 mg/kg (i.p) administered once daily for 7 days [42 (link),51 (link),52 (link)]. To block glucocorticoid receptors, mice were administered RU-486 (a.k.a. mifepristone; Cayman Chemical) dissolved in 30% Kolliphor, 1% DMSO and Tween 20 (3 drops) to a dose of 20 mg/kg (i.p.) administered once daily for 8 days [42 (link),53 (link),54 (link)].