Repository of Research and Investigative Information

Repository of Research and Investigative Information

Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences

COVID-19 disrupts the blood–testis barrier through the induction of inflammatory cytokines and disruption of junctional proteins

(2021) COVID-19 disrupts the blood–testis barrier through the induction of inflammatory cytokines and disruption of junctional proteins. Inflammation Research. pp. 1165-1175. ISSN 10233830 (ISSN)

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Official URL: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2....

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. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Item Type: Article
Keywords: Blood–testis barrier; COVID-19; Inflammatory cytokines
Page Range: pp. 1165-1175
Journal or Publication Title: Inflammation Research
Volume: 70
Number: 10-12
Identification Number: 10.1007/s00011-021-01497-4
ISSN: 10233830 (ISSN)
Depositing User: پریسا مرادی
URI: http://eprints.thums.ac.ir/id/eprint/3491

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