SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein is Associated With Lower Testosterone Levels: An Experimental Study.

Autor:	Lucio Carrasco CH; Androscience-Science and Innovation Center in Andrology and High-Complex Clinical and Research Andrology Laboratory, Sao Paulo, Brazil.; Division of Urology, Hospital Das Clinicas, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil., Noda P; Renal Division, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Barbosa AP; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Vieira Borges da Silva EK; Renal Division, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Gasque Bomfim C; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Ventura Fernandes BH; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Teixeira TA; Androscience-Science and Innovation Center in Andrology and High-Complex Clinical and Research Andrology Laboratory, Sao Paulo, Brazil.; Division of Urology, Hospital Das Clinicas, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil., Nunes Duarte Neto A; Reproductive Toxicology Unit, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil., Nascimento Saldiva PH; Reproductive Toxicology Unit, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.; Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil., Achoa Filho K; Renal Division, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Rodrigues Guzzo C; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Durigon EL; Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Affonso Fonseca FL; Department of Clinical Laboratory, University Center of ABC Medical School, Santo Andre, Brazil., Corazzini R; Department of Clinical Laboratory, University Center of ABC Medical School, Santo Andre, Brazil., Fanelli C; Renal Division, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Noronha IL; Renal Division, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil., Hallak J; Androscience-Science and Innovation Center in Andrology and High-Complex Clinical and Research Andrology Laboratory, Sao Paulo, Brazil.; Division of Urology, Hospital Das Clinicas, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.; Reproductive Toxicology Unit, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.; Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Frontiers in physiology [Front Physiol] 2022 Jun 03; Vol. 13, pp. 867444. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Jun 03 (Print Publication: 2022).
DOI:	10.3389/fphys.2022.867444
Abstrakt:	The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic represents an extra burden in the majority of public and private health systems worldwide beyond the most pessimistic expectations, driving an urgent rush to develop effective vaccines and effective medical treatments against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The Nucleocapsid structural viral protein is remarkably immunogenic and hugely expressed during infection. High IgG antibodies against Nucleocapsid protein (N protein) levels were detected in the serum of COVID-19 patients, confirming its pivotal antigen role for a T lymphocyte response in a vaccine microenvironment. Currently, adverse events associated with immunizations have raised some degree of concern, irrespective of its huge benefits in dealing with disease severity and decreasing mortality and morbidity. This hitherto study evaluates histological changes in rats' testes, epididymis, prostate, and seminal vesicles and analyzes hormone levels after solely N protein inoculation. Therefore, we exposed a group of Lewis rats to weekly injections of the recombinant N protein for 28 days, while a control group was inoculated with a buffer solution. The N group revealed a more significant number of spermatozoa. Spermatozoa in the seminiferous tubules were counted in twenty 400 × microscopy fields (mean of 9.2 vs. 4.6 in the control group; p < 0,01), but significantly lower testosterone levels (mean of 125.70 ng/dl vs. 309,00 ng/dl in the control group; p < 0,05) were found. No other histological and biochemical changes were displayed. Conclusively, these data suggest testicular hormonal imbalance mediated by the SARS-CoV-2 N protein that could be linked to reported post-COVID-19 syndrome hypogonadism. More relevant research might be performed to confirm this viral antigen's deleterious mechanism in the human testicular microenvironment, particular in Leydig cell function. Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. (Copyright © 2022 Lucio Carrasco, Noda, Barbosa, Vieira Borges da Silva, Gasque Bomfim, Ventura Fernandes, Teixeira, Nunes Duarte Neto, Nascimento Saldiva, Achoa Filho, Rodrigues Guzzo, Durigon, Affonso Fonseca, Corazzini, Fanelli, Noronha and Hallak.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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