Characterization of a SARS-CoV-2 infection model in golden hamsters with diabetes mellitus.

ABSTRACT: Being widespread across the globe, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) keeps evolving and generating new variants and continuously poses threat to public health, especially to the population with chronic comorbidities. Diabetes mellitus is one of high-risk factors for severe outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Establishment of animal models that parallel the clinical and pathological features of COVID-19 complicated with diabetes is thus highly essential. Here, in this study, we constructed leptin receptor gene knockout hamsters with the phenotype of diabetes mellitus (db/db), and revealed that the diabetic hamsters were more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and its variants than wild-type hamsters. SARS-CoV-2 and its variants induced a stronger immune cytokin

SUBMITTER: Lin HF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12282415 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature