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Mahé D, Bourgeau S, da Silva J, Schlederer J, Satie AP, Kuassivi N, Mathieu R, Guillou YM, Le Tortorec A, Guivel-Benhassine F, Schwartz O, Plotton I, Dejucq-Rainsford N. SARS-CoV-2 replicates in the human testis with slow kinetics and has no major deleterious effects ex vivo. J Virol 2023; 97:e0110423. [PMID: 37830818 PMCID: PMC10653996 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01104-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic. Although SARS-CoV-2 primarily affects the lungs, other organs are infected. Alterations of testosteronemia and spermatozoa motility in infected men have raised questions about testicular infection, along with high level in the testis of ACE2, the main receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to enter host cells. Using an organotypic culture of human testis, we found that SARS-CoV-2 replicated with slow kinetics in the testis. The virus first targeted testosterone-producing Leydig cells and then germ-cell nursing Sertoli cells. After a peak followed by the upregulation of antiviral effectors, viral replication in the testis decreased and did not induce any major damage to the tissue. Altogether, our data show that SARS-CoV-2 replicates in the human testis to a limited extent and suggest that testicular damages in infected patients are more likely to result from systemic infection and inflammation than from viral replication in the testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Mahé
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes, UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Salomé Bourgeau
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes, UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
- University of CAS, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology & Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Janaina da Silva
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes, UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Julie Schlederer
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes, UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Anne-Pascale Satie
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes, UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Nadège Kuassivi
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes, UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | - Romain Mathieu
- Service d‘Urologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Yves-Marie Guillou
- Service de Coordination des prélèvements, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Anna Le Tortorec
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes, UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
| | | | - Olivier Schwartz
- Virus and Immunity Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Paris, France
| | - Ingrid Plotton
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Institut Cellules Souche et Cerveau (SBRI), UMR_S1208, Bron, France
| | - Nathalie Dejucq-Rainsford
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail, Université de Rennes, UMR_S1085, Rennes, France
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Poma AM, Bonuccelli D, Macerola E, Niballi S, Basolo A, Santini F, Basolo F, Toniolo A. Transcriptional changes in multiple endocrine organs from lethal cases of COVID-19. J Mol Med (Berl) 2023; 101:973-986. [PMID: 37246981 PMCID: PMC10225763 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-023-02334-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Altered circulating hormone and metabolite levels have been reported during and post-COVID-19. Yet, studies of gene expression at the tissue level capable of identifying the causes of endocrine dysfunctions are lacking. Transcript levels of endocrine-specific genes were analyzed in five endocrine organs of lethal COVID-19 cases. Overall, 116 autoptic specimens from 77 individuals (50 COVID-19 cases and 27 uninfected controls) were included. Samples were tested for the SARS-CoV-2 genome. The adrenals, pancreas, ovary, thyroid, and white adipose tissue (WAT) were investigated. Transcript levels of 42 endocrine-specific and 3 interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) were measured and compared between COVID-19 cases (virus-positive and virus-negative in each tissue) and uninfected controls. ISG transcript levels were enhanced in SARS-CoV-2-positive tissues. Endocrine-specific genes (e.g., HSD3B2, INS, IAPP, TSHR, FOXE1, LEP, and CRYGD) were deregulated in COVID-19 cases in an organ-specific manner. Transcription of organ-specific genes was suppressed in virus-positive specimens of the ovary, pancreas, and thyroid but enhanced in the adrenals. In WAT of COVID-19 cases, transcription of ISGs and leptin was enhanced independently of virus detection in tissue. Though vaccination and prior infection have a protective role against acute and long-term effects of COVID-19, clinicians must be aware that endocrine manifestations can derive from virus-induced and/or stress-induced transcriptional changes of individual endocrine genes. KEY MESSAGES: • SARS-CoV-2 can infect adipose tissue, adrenals, ovary, pancreas and thyroid. • Infection of endocrine organs induces interferon response. • Interferon response is observed in adipose tissue independently of virus presence. • Endocrine-specific genes are deregulated in an organ-specific manner in COVID-19. • Transcription of crucial genes such as INS, TSHR and LEP is altered in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anello Marcello Poma
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Diana Bonuccelli
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Azienda USL Toscana Nordovest, Lucca, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Macerola
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Niballi
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Azienda USL Toscana Nordovest, Lucca, Italy
| | - Alessio Basolo
- Obesity and Lipodystrophy Center, Endocrinology Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ferruccio Santini
- Obesity and Lipodystrophy Center, Endocrinology Unit, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fulvio Basolo
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 67, 56126, Pisa, Italy
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Ly J, Campos RK, Hager-Soto EE, Camargos VN, Rossi SL. Testicular pathological alterations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2023; 5:1229622. [PMID: 37457430 PMCID: PMC10338913 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2023.1229622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which caused one of the pandemics with the highest mortalities with millions of deaths and hundreds of millions of cases to date. Due to its potential for airborne transmission, many studies have focused on SARS-CoV-2 primarily as a respiratory disease. However, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to non-respiratory organs has been experimentally demonstrated and clinically observed. During autopsy studies, histopathological lesions, and disruption of the blood-testes barrier (BTB) have been observed in the male reproductive tract. Here, we review findings from both autopsy cases and animal models that demonstrate testicular disease due to COVID-19 and present an overview of the pathological alterations that occur in the testes resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection and explore its potential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Ly
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Rafael K. Campos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - E. Eldridge Hager-Soto
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Vidyleison N. Camargos
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Shannan L. Rossi
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
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