Immunoreactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 entry proteins ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation, ageing, and cardiac injury

Abstract Previous work indicates that SARS-CoV-2 virus entry proteins angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) and the cell surface transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS-2) are regulated by sex hormones. However, clinical studies addressing this association have yielded conflicting results. We soug...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Susan Bengs, Alexia Rossi, Martina Haberecker, Nidaa Mikail, Alexander Meisel, Achi Haider, Muriel Grämer, Angela Portmann, Atanas Todorov, Christof Schönenberger, Caroline E. Gebhard, Gabriela M. Kuster, Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, Catherine Gebhard
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2021-12-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03181-3
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832594704216096768
author Susan Bengs
Alexia Rossi
Martina Haberecker
Nidaa Mikail
Alexander Meisel
Achi Haider
Muriel Grämer
Angela Portmann
Atanas Todorov
Christof Schönenberger
Caroline E. Gebhard
Gabriela M. Kuster
Vera Regitz-Zagrosek
Catherine Gebhard
author_facet Susan Bengs
Alexia Rossi
Martina Haberecker
Nidaa Mikail
Alexander Meisel
Achi Haider
Muriel Grämer
Angela Portmann
Atanas Todorov
Christof Schönenberger
Caroline E. Gebhard
Gabriela M. Kuster
Vera Regitz-Zagrosek
Catherine Gebhard
author_sort Susan Bengs
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Previous work indicates that SARS-CoV-2 virus entry proteins angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) and the cell surface transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS-2) are regulated by sex hormones. However, clinical studies addressing this association have yielded conflicting results. We sought to analyze the impact of sex hormones, age, and cardiovascular disease on ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 expression in different mouse models. ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 expression was analyzed by immunostaining in a variety of tissues obtained from FVB/N mice undergoing either gonadectomy or sham-surgery and being subjected to ischemia–reperfusion injury or transverse aortic constriction surgery. In lung tissues sex did not have a significant impact on the expression of ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2. On the contrary, following myocardial injury, female sex was associated to a lower expression of ACE-2 at the level of the kidney tubules. In addition, after myocardial injury, a significant correlation between younger age and higher expression of both ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 was observed for lung alveoli and bronchioli, kidney tubules, and liver sinusoids. Our experimental data indicate that gonadal hormones and biological sex do not alter ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 expression in the respiratory tract in mice, independent of disease state. Thus, sex differences in ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 protein expression observed in mice may not explain the higher disease burden of COVID-19 among men.
format Article
id doaj-art-88c5b287c46e43ab92785ea3e802b9d1
institution Kabale University
issn 2045-2322
language English
publishDate 2021-12-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Scientific Reports
spelling doaj-art-88c5b287c46e43ab92785ea3e802b9d12025-01-19T12:25:06ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-12-0111111010.1038/s41598-021-03181-3Immunoreactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 entry proteins ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation, ageing, and cardiac injurySusan Bengs0Alexia Rossi1Martina Haberecker2Nidaa Mikail3Alexander Meisel4Achi Haider5Muriel Grämer6Angela Portmann7Atanas Todorov8Christof Schönenberger9Caroline E. Gebhard10Gabriela M. Kuster11Vera Regitz-Zagrosek12Catherine Gebhard13Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital ZurichDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital ZurichInstitute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital ZurichDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital ZurichDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital ZurichDivision of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical SchoolDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital ZurichDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital ZurichDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital ZurichIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital BaselIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital BaselDepartment of Cardiology, University Hospital BaselCharité, Universitätsmedizin BerlinDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital ZurichAbstract Previous work indicates that SARS-CoV-2 virus entry proteins angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) and the cell surface transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS-2) are regulated by sex hormones. However, clinical studies addressing this association have yielded conflicting results. We sought to analyze the impact of sex hormones, age, and cardiovascular disease on ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 expression in different mouse models. ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 expression was analyzed by immunostaining in a variety of tissues obtained from FVB/N mice undergoing either gonadectomy or sham-surgery and being subjected to ischemia–reperfusion injury or transverse aortic constriction surgery. In lung tissues sex did not have a significant impact on the expression of ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2. On the contrary, following myocardial injury, female sex was associated to a lower expression of ACE-2 at the level of the kidney tubules. In addition, after myocardial injury, a significant correlation between younger age and higher expression of both ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 was observed for lung alveoli and bronchioli, kidney tubules, and liver sinusoids. Our experimental data indicate that gonadal hormones and biological sex do not alter ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 expression in the respiratory tract in mice, independent of disease state. Thus, sex differences in ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 protein expression observed in mice may not explain the higher disease burden of COVID-19 among men.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03181-3
spellingShingle Susan Bengs
Alexia Rossi
Martina Haberecker
Nidaa Mikail
Alexander Meisel
Achi Haider
Muriel Grämer
Angela Portmann
Atanas Todorov
Christof Schönenberger
Caroline E. Gebhard
Gabriela M. Kuster
Vera Regitz-Zagrosek
Catherine Gebhard
Immunoreactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 entry proteins ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation, ageing, and cardiac injury
Scientific Reports
title Immunoreactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 entry proteins ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation, ageing, and cardiac injury
title_full Immunoreactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 entry proteins ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation, ageing, and cardiac injury
title_fullStr Immunoreactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 entry proteins ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation, ageing, and cardiac injury
title_full_unstemmed Immunoreactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 entry proteins ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation, ageing, and cardiac injury
title_short Immunoreactivity of the SARS-CoV-2 entry proteins ACE-2 and TMPRSS-2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation, ageing, and cardiac injury
title_sort immunoreactivity of the sars cov 2 entry proteins ace 2 and tmprss 2 in murine models of hormonal manipulation ageing and cardiac injury
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03181-3
work_keys_str_mv AT susanbengs immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT alexiarossi immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT martinahaberecker immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT nidaamikail immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT alexandermeisel immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT achihaider immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT murielgramer immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT angelaportmann immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT atanastodorov immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT christofschonenberger immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT carolineegebhard immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT gabrielamkuster immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT veraregitzzagrosek immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury
AT catherinegebhard immunoreactivityofthesarscov2entryproteinsace2andtmprss2inmurinemodelsofhormonalmanipulationageingandcardiacinjury