Testicular injury during SARS-CoV-2 infection may be neglected: An assessment from scRNA-seq profiling and protein detection of angiotensin-converting enzyme II.

ABSTRACT: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is outbreaking globally. SARS-CoV-2 invades host cells via angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) and causes multiple-organ injury. Autopsy studies indicated that the testis of patients with COVID-19 exhibited various degrees of spermatogenic cell reduction and injury, but the composition of ACE2-expressing cells and their proportion in the testes have remained to be determined. Recent clinical evidence suggested that the ratio of male sex hormones in males with COVID-19 was significantly changed. The present study aimed to explore whether SARS-CoV-2 is able to damage the male reproductive system. For this, the ACE2-expressing cell composition and proportion in male testes were ana

SUBMITTER: Cai T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8576622 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature