tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Inflamm Res
. 2021 Aug 26.
doi: 10.1007/s00011-021-01497-4. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19 disrupts the blood-testis barrier through the induction of inflammatory cytokines and disruption of junctional proteins
Tahmineh Peirouvi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abbas Aliaghaei[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bahram Eslami Farsani[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sanaz Ziaeipour[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vahid Ebrahimi[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Mehdi Forozesh[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Masoud Ghadipasha[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Gholam-Reza Mahmoudiasl[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Arefeh Aryan[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Negin Moghimi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Shabnam Abdi[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Amir Raoofi[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Mohammadhossein Kargar Godaneh[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar[SUP] 10 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Objective: Junctional proteins are the most important component of the blood-testis barrier and maintaining the integrity of this barrier is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. The present study elucidated the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the blood-testis barrier (BTB) in patients who died from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) complications.
Methods: In this study, lung and testis tissue was collected from autopsies of COVID-19 positive (n = 10) and negative men (n = 10) and was taken for stereology, immunocytochemistry, and RNA extraction.
Results: Evaluation of the lung tissue showed that the SARS-CoV-2 infection caused extensive damage to the lung tissue and also increases inflammation in testicular tissue and destruction of the testicular blood barrier. Autopsied testicular specimens of COVID-19 showed that COVID-19 infection significantly changes the spatial arrangement of testicular cells and notably decreased the number of Sertoli cells. Moreover, the immunohistochemistry results showed a significant reduction in the protein expression of occluding, claudin-11, and connexin-43 in the COVID-19 group. In addition, we also observed a remarkable enhancement in protein expression of CD68 in the testes of the COVID-19 group in comparison with the control group. Furthermore, the result showed that the expression of TNF-α, IL1β, and IL6 was significantly increased in COVID-19 cases as well as the expression of occludin, claudin-11, and connexin-43 was decreased in COVID-19 cases.
Conclusions: Overall, the present study demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 could induce the up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine and down-regulation of junctional proteins of the BTB, which can disrupt BTB and ultimately impair spermatogenesis.
Keywords: Blood–testis barrier; COVID-19; Inflammatory cytokines.
. 2021 Aug 26.
doi: 10.1007/s00011-021-01497-4. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19 disrupts the blood-testis barrier through the induction of inflammatory cytokines and disruption of junctional proteins
Tahmineh Peirouvi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abbas Aliaghaei[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Bahram Eslami Farsani[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sanaz Ziaeipour[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vahid Ebrahimi[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Mehdi Forozesh[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Masoud Ghadipasha[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Gholam-Reza Mahmoudiasl[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Arefeh Aryan[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Negin Moghimi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Shabnam Abdi[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Amir Raoofi[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Mohammadhossein Kargar Godaneh[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar[SUP] 10 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34436630
- DOI: 10.1007/s00011-021-01497-4
Abstract
Objective: Junctional proteins are the most important component of the blood-testis barrier and maintaining the integrity of this barrier is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. The present study elucidated the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the blood-testis barrier (BTB) in patients who died from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) complications.
Methods: In this study, lung and testis tissue was collected from autopsies of COVID-19 positive (n = 10) and negative men (n = 10) and was taken for stereology, immunocytochemistry, and RNA extraction.
Results: Evaluation of the lung tissue showed that the SARS-CoV-2 infection caused extensive damage to the lung tissue and also increases inflammation in testicular tissue and destruction of the testicular blood barrier. Autopsied testicular specimens of COVID-19 showed that COVID-19 infection significantly changes the spatial arrangement of testicular cells and notably decreased the number of Sertoli cells. Moreover, the immunohistochemistry results showed a significant reduction in the protein expression of occluding, claudin-11, and connexin-43 in the COVID-19 group. In addition, we also observed a remarkable enhancement in protein expression of CD68 in the testes of the COVID-19 group in comparison with the control group. Furthermore, the result showed that the expression of TNF-α, IL1β, and IL6 was significantly increased in COVID-19 cases as well as the expression of occludin, claudin-11, and connexin-43 was decreased in COVID-19 cases.
Conclusions: Overall, the present study demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 could induce the up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine and down-regulation of junctional proteins of the BTB, which can disrupt BTB and ultimately impair spermatogenesis.
Keywords: Blood–testis barrier; COVID-19; Inflammatory cytokines.