Chikungunya virus replicates in the human testis <i>ex vivo</i> and impacts peritubular myoid cells functional markers.

ABSTRACT: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging, mosquito-borne alphavirus responsible for debilitating, long-lasting arthralgia and myalgia. In light of recent findings of prolonged CHIKV RNA shedding in human semen and testicular tropism in animals infected with related alphaviruses, it is imperative to investigate CHIKV's capacity to infect the human testis, an established reservoir for arboviruses like Zika, and to delineate its implications for testicular function. Using an ex vivo human testicular tissue model, we demonstrate that CHIKV rapidly infects peritubular myoid cells (PMCs) and a range of interstitial cells, with robust viral production peaking at day 3 before declining. Importantly, seminiferous tubule cells and isolated testicular germ cells proved nonpermissive to CHIKV i

SUBMITTER: Cartron M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12683761 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature