ABSTRACT
Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are top two chronic comorbidities that increase the severity and mortality of COVID-19. However, how SARS-CoV-2 alters the progression of chronic diseases remain unclear. Methods: We used adenovirus to deliver h-ACE2 to lung to enable SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice. SARS-CoV-2's impacts on pathogenesis of chronic diseases were studied through histopathological, virologic and molecular biology analysis. Results: Pre-existing CVDs resulted in viral invasion, ROS elevation and activation of apoptosis pathways contribute myocardial injury during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Viral infection increased fasting blood glucose and reduced insulin response in DM model. Bone mineral density decreased shortly after infection, which associated with impaired PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Conclusion: We established mouse models mimicked the complex pathological symptoms of COVID-19 patients with chronic diseases. Pre-existing diseases could impair the inflammatory responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which further aggravated the pre-existing diseases. This work provided valuable information to better understand the interplay between the primary diseases and SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/physiopathology , Cardiovascular Diseases/complications , Cardiovascular Diseases/physiopathology , Diabetes Complications/physiopathology , Animals , Comorbidity , Diabetes Mellitus , Disease Models, Animal , Male , Mice , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
The mass inoculation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines to induce herd immunity is one of the most effective measures we can deploy in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Pregnant women are prone to a higher risk of COVID-19, and maternal infection is a risk factor for a range of neurological disorders leading to abnormal behavior in adulthood. However, there are limited clinical data to support whether vaccination or infection post-immunization in pregnant women can affect the behavioral cognition of fetuses in adulthood. In this study, human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 pregnant mice (F0 generation) were immunized with CoronaVac and then infected with SARS-CoV-2. Subsequently, we analyzed the behavioral cognition of their adult offspring (F1 generation) using the open-field test and Morris water maze test. The adult F1 generation did not exhibit any impairments in spontaneous locomotor activity or spatial reference memory.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Adult , Female , Mice , Pregnancy , Animals , COVID-19 Vaccines , COVID-19/prevention & control , Immunity, Herd , VaccinationABSTRACT
The mass inoculation of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine to induce herd immunity is one of the most effective measures to fight COVID-19. The vaccination of pregnant women cannot only avoid or reduce the probability of infectious diseases, but also offers the most effective and direct protection for neonates by means of passive immunization. However, there is no randomized clinical data to ascertain whether the inactivated vaccination of pregnant women or women of childbearing age can affect conception and the fetus. We found that human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) mice that were vaccinated with two doses of CoronaVac (an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine) before and during pregnancy exhibited normal weight changes and reproductive performance indices; the physical development of their offspring was also normal. Following intranasal inoculation with SARS-CoV-2, pregnant mice in the immunization group all survived; reproductive performance indices and the physical development of offspring were all normal. In contrast, mice in the non-immunization group all died before delivery. Analyses showed that inoculation of CoronaVac was safe and did not exert any significant effects on pregnancy, lactation, or the growth of offspring in hACE2 mice. Vaccination effectively protected the pregnant mice against SARS-CoV-2 infection and had no adverse effects on the growth and development of the offspring, thus suggesting that inoculation with an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine may be an effective strategy to prevent infection in pregnant women.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines , COVID-19 , Lactation , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 , Animals , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19 Vaccines/adverse effects , COVID-19 Vaccines/immunology , Female , Humans , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Pregnancy , SARS-CoV-2 , Vaccines, InactivatedABSTRACT
A biosafety laboratory is a prerequisite for studying emerging infectious diseases. Safe and effective operation in laboratories and the handling of pathogens determine the safety of the personnel, pathogens, and the environment in the laboratory, which are among the key factors for successful experimentation. In this article, we aimed to provide ideas for the emergency management of biosafety laboratories, including a discussion on the urgency of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) related experimental activities, tracking clinical information, taking emergency measures, revision of the risk assessment process, and standardization of personal protective equipment and personnel behavior standards.