Methamphetamine and HIV-1: potential interactions and the use of the FIV/cat model

The interaction of methamphetamine with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the aetiologic agent of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), has no t been thoroughly investigated. However, increasingly, a larger proportion of HIV infected individuals acquire the virus through methamphetamine use o r are exposed to this drug during their disease course. In certain populati ons, there is a convergence of methamphetamine use and HIV-1 infection; yet our understanding of the potential effects that simultaneous exposure to t hese two agents have on disease progression is extremely limited. Studying the interactions between methamphetamine and lentivirus in people is diffic ult. To thoroughly understand methamphetamine's effects on lentivirus disea se progression, an animal model that is both clinically relevant and easily manipulated is essential. In this report, we identified potential problems with methamphetamine abuse in individuals with a concurrent HIV-1 infectio n, described the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)/cat model for HIV-1, a nd reported our early findings using this modelling system to study the int eraction of methamphetamine and lentivirus infections.