1
|
Mehboob R, von Kries JP, Ehsan K, Almansouri M, Bamaga AK. Role of endothelial cells and angiotensin converting enzyme-II in COVID-19 and brain damages post-infection. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1210194. [PMID: 37456637 PMCID: PMC10348744 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1210194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which became a pandemic in late 2019 and early 2020. Apart from many other symptoms of this infection, such as loss of smell and taste, rashes, body aches, fatigue, and psychological and cardiac symptoms, it also causes vasodilation in response to inflammation via nitric oxide release. SARS CoV-2 affects microcirculation, resulting in the swelling and damage of endothelial cells, micro thrombosis, constriction of capillaries, and damage to pericytes that are vital for the integrity of capillaries, angiogenesis, and the healing process. Cytokine storming has been associated with COVID-19 illness. Capillary damage and congestion may cause limited diffusion exchange of oxygen in the lungs and hence hypoxemia and tissue hypoxia occur. This perspective study will explore the involvement of capillary damage and inflammation by their interference with blood and tissue oxygenation as well as brain function in the persistent symptoms and severity of COVID-19. The overall effects of capillary damage due to COVID-19, microvascular damage, and hypoxia in vital organs are also discussed in this perspective. Once initiated, this vicious cycle causes inflammation due to hypoxia, resulting in limited capillary function, which in turn causes inflammation and tissue damage. Low oxygen levels and high cytokines in brain tissue may lead to brain damage. The after-effects may be in the form of psychological symptoms such as mood changes, anxiety, depression, and many others that need to be investigated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Riffat Mehboob
- Lahore Medical Research Center and LMRC Laboratories, LLP, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Jens Peter von Kries
- Screening Unit, Leibniz-Research Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Kashifa Ehsan
- Lahore Medical Research Center and LMRC Laboratories, LLP, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Majid Almansouri
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed K. Bamaga
- Neurology Division, Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Alwazzan A, Mehboob R, Gilani SA, Hassan A, Perveen S, Tanvir I, Waseem H, Ehsan K, Ahmad FJ, Akram J. Immunohistochemical Expression of the Alpha Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor 7 in the Human Normal, Diabetic, and Preeclamptic Placenta and Products of Conception. Front Physiol 2020; 11:607239. [PMID: 33324243 PMCID: PMC7724587 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.607239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) and gestational diabetes (GD) are complications in advanced pregnancy while miscarriage for early pregnancy. However, the etiological factors are not well understood. Smoking has been associated with these complications as well as the sudden intrauterine deaths, sudden infant death, miscarriages, and still births. However, the immunolocalization of alpha 7 nicotine acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) is not studied. Materials and Methods: α7-nAChR subunit expression was evaluated in 10 paraffin-embedded placental tissues after delivery and 10 tissue samples of products of conception during first trimester by immunohistochemistry. Among the placental tissues, two samples were normal placental tissue, four from PE mother, and four from GD mother. The expression of α7-nAChR was compared between the two groups in general and within the subgroups of placenta as well. Protein expression was evaluated using the nuclear labeling index (%) of villi with positive cells stained, positive cells in the decidua, and intensity of staining in the outer villous trophoblast layer. Results: The expression of α7-nAChR protein was high in all the cases of placenta and products of conception (POCs). α7-nAChR expression showed no notable differences among different cases of miscarriages irrespective of the mother's age and gestational age at which the event occurred. However, there were some changes among the normal, PE, and GD placental groups in the linings of the blood vessels. Changes were restricted to the villi (as opposed to the decidua) lining cells, both cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, and were specific to the α7 subunit. PE blood vessel lining was thicker and showed more expression of this receptor in endothelial cells and myofibroblasts in PE and GD groups. In POCs, the strong expression was observed in the decidua myocytes of maternal blood vessels and in syncytiotrophoblast and cytotrophoblast of chronic villi. Conclusion: Nicotine acetyl choline receptors are found to be expressed highly in the placental tissues and in products of conception. They may be associated with the sudden perinatal deaths and miscarriages or complications of pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Alwazzan
- Division of Gynecology Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University,, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Riffat Mehboob
- Research Unit, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
- SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
| | - Syed Amir Gilani
- Research Unit, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Amber Hassan
- Research Unit, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Shahida Perveen
- Department of Pathology, Continental Medical College Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Imrana Tanvir
- Department of Pathology, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Humaira Waseem
- Research Unit, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | - Fridoon Jawad Ahmad
- Physiology and Cell Biology Department, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
- Institute of Regenerative Medicine, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Javed Akram
- Physiology and Cell Biology Department, University of Health Sciences Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Guzman N, Ehsan K, Radeos M, Waseem M. 200. Ann Emerg Med 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2006.07.656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|