tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Infect Dis
. 2022 Apr 20;jiac143.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac143. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Causes Hyperglycemia in Cats
Yufei Zhang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Jindong Gao[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Kun Huang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ya Zhao[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Xianfeng Hui[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ting Wang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Changmin Hu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiaomei Sun[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ying Yang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Chao Wu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Xi Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhong Zou[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Lian Zong Zhao[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Meilin Jin[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Isolated reports of new-onset diabetes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have led researchers to hypothesize that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects human exocrine and endocrine pancreatic cells ex vivo and in vivo. However, existing research lacks experimental evidence indicating that SARS-CoV-2 can infect pancreatic tissue. Here, we found that cats infected with a high dose of SARS-CoV-2 exhibited hyperglycemia. We also detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in pancreatic tissues of these cats, and immunohistochemical staining revealed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP) in islet cells. SARS-CoV-2 NP and spike proteins were primarily detected in glucagon-positive cells, and most glucagon-positive cells expressed ACE2. Additionally, immune protection experiments conducted on cats showed that blood glucose levels of immunized cats did not increase postchallenge. Our data indicate cat pancreas as a SARS-CoV-2 target and suggest that the infection of glucagon-positive cells could contribute to the metabolic dysregulation observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cats.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cats; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; diabetes; hyperglycemia; islet; pancreas; viruses.
. 2022 Apr 20;jiac143.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac143. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Causes Hyperglycemia in Cats
Yufei Zhang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Jindong Gao[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Kun Huang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ya Zhao[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Xianfeng Hui[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ting Wang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Changmin Hu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiaomei Sun[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ying Yang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Chao Wu[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Xi Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Zhong Zou[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Lian Zong Zhao[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Meilin Jin[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35639863
- DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac143
Abstract
Isolated reports of new-onset diabetes in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have led researchers to hypothesize that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects human exocrine and endocrine pancreatic cells ex vivo and in vivo. However, existing research lacks experimental evidence indicating that SARS-CoV-2 can infect pancreatic tissue. Here, we found that cats infected with a high dose of SARS-CoV-2 exhibited hyperglycemia. We also detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in pancreatic tissues of these cats, and immunohistochemical staining revealed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP) in islet cells. SARS-CoV-2 NP and spike proteins were primarily detected in glucagon-positive cells, and most glucagon-positive cells expressed ACE2. Additionally, immune protection experiments conducted on cats showed that blood glucose levels of immunized cats did not increase postchallenge. Our data indicate cat pancreas as a SARS-CoV-2 target and suggest that the infection of glucagon-positive cells could contribute to the metabolic dysregulation observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected cats.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cats; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; diabetes; hyperglycemia; islet; pancreas; viruses.