SARS-CoV-2 replicates in the human testis with slow kinetics and has no major deleterious effects ex vivo.
J Virol
; 97(10): e0110423, 2023 10 31.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37830818
ABSTRACT
IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic. Although SARS-CoV-2 primarily affects the lungs, other organs are infected. Alterations of testosteronemia and spermatozoa motility in infected men have raised questions about testicular infection, along with high level in the testis of ACE2, the main receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to enter host cells. Using an organotypic culture of human testis, we found that SARS-CoV-2 replicated with slow kinetics in the testis. The virus first targeted testosterone-producing Leydig cells and then germ-cell nursing Sertoli cells. After a peak followed by the upregulation of antiviral effectors, viral replication in the testis decreased and did not induce any major damage to the tissue. Altogether, our data show that SARS-CoV-2 replicates in the human testis to a limited extent and suggest that testicular damages in infected patients are more likely to result from systemic infection and inflammation than from viral replication in the testis.
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Texto completo:
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Testículo
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Replicação Viral
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SARS-CoV-2
Limite:
Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article