The HIV-1 transgenic rat as a model for HIV-1 infected individuals on HAART.

HIV-1 viral replication is limited in patients given highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART); however, HIV-1 viral proteins are still present. We demonstrate that the developing HIV-1Tg rat, which expresses all of the HIV-1 viral genes except the gag-pol replication genes, maintains lower body weight compared with the F344 control rat. Although HIV-1Tg rats eat and drink less than the control animals, they are not anorexic and show no evidence of anhedonia.