tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Front Cell Neurosci
. 2021 Nov 24;15:750373.
doi: 10.3389/fncel.2021.750373. eCollection 2021.
Sex-Specific Microglial Activation and SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Expression Induced by Chronic Unpredictable Stress
Ling Yan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mohan Jayaram[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Keerthana Chithanathan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexander Zharkovsky[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Li Tian[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated a lot of stress and anxiety among not only infected patients but also the general population across the globe, which disturbs cerebral immune homeostasis and potentially exacerbates the SARS-CoV-2 virus-induced neuroinflammation, especially among people susceptible to neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we used a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model to study its effects on glia-mediated neuroinflammation and expression of SARS-CoV2 viral receptors. We observed that female mice showed depressive-like behavior after CUMS, whereas male mice showed enhanced anxiety and social withdrawal. Interestingly, CUMS led to increased amounts of total and MHCII[SUP]+[/SUP] microglia in the hippocampi of female mice but not male mice. mRNA levels of SARS-CoV-2 viral receptors angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (Ace2) and basigin (Bsg) were also upregulated in the prefrontal cortices of stressed female mice but not male mice. Similarly, sex-specific changes in SARS-CoV-2 viral receptors FURIN and neuropilin-1 (NRP1) were also observed in monocytes of human caregivers enduring chronic stress. Our findings provided evidence on detrimental effects of chronic stress on the brain and behavior and implied potential sex-dependent susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection after chronic stress.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; chronic unpredictable mild stress; glial cells; neuroinflammation; neuropsychiatric disorders.
. 2021 Nov 24;15:750373.
doi: 10.3389/fncel.2021.750373. eCollection 2021.
Sex-Specific Microglial Activation and SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Expression Induced by Chronic Unpredictable Stress
Ling Yan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mohan Jayaram[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Keerthana Chithanathan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexander Zharkovsky[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Li Tian[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34899189
- PMCID: PMC8654352
- DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.750373
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has generated a lot of stress and anxiety among not only infected patients but also the general population across the globe, which disturbs cerebral immune homeostasis and potentially exacerbates the SARS-CoV-2 virus-induced neuroinflammation, especially among people susceptible to neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we used a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model to study its effects on glia-mediated neuroinflammation and expression of SARS-CoV2 viral receptors. We observed that female mice showed depressive-like behavior after CUMS, whereas male mice showed enhanced anxiety and social withdrawal. Interestingly, CUMS led to increased amounts of total and MHCII[SUP]+[/SUP] microglia in the hippocampi of female mice but not male mice. mRNA levels of SARS-CoV-2 viral receptors angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (Ace2) and basigin (Bsg) were also upregulated in the prefrontal cortices of stressed female mice but not male mice. Similarly, sex-specific changes in SARS-CoV-2 viral receptors FURIN and neuropilin-1 (NRP1) were also observed in monocytes of human caregivers enduring chronic stress. Our findings provided evidence on detrimental effects of chronic stress on the brain and behavior and implied potential sex-dependent susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection after chronic stress.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; chronic unpredictable mild stress; glial cells; neuroinflammation; neuropsychiatric disorders.