Initially described as a viral infection of the respiratory tract, Covid-19 has shown to be capable of causing damage to different organs besides the lungs, including the heart, kidneys and brain.
An animal study, conducted by researchers from the United States, revealed that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, is able to infect different tissues of the male genital tract. Research with infected rhesus monkeys showed that the virus reached the prostate, testes and penis.
To identify the ability of viral infection, the researchers used a technique of computed tomography of the whole body of the animals. Although scientists didn’t know what they might find, they hoped to detect the virus in places like the lungs and nose, given the transmission characteristics of the disease.
“But the signal that jumped out at us was full spread through the male genital tract,” lead researcher Thomas Hope, professor of cell and developmental biology at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said in a statement. “We had no idea we would find him there.”
Evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infection can negatively affect male sexual health and fertility is increasing by the day.
In Brazil, a research group at the University of São Paulo (USP), coordinated by professors Paulo Saldiva and Marisa Dolhnikoff, from the Faculty of Medicine, identified that the new coronavirus is capable of invading all types of testicle cells, causing lesions that can impair hormonal function and fertility.
To arrive at the result, Brazilian specialists performed the autopsy of the testicular tissues of 11 patients, aged between 32 and 88 years, who died due to complications from Covid-19.
“We saw by electron microscopy that the coronavirus invaded every cell in the testis. The virus is present in the cells that produce sperm, called Sertoli, in the cells that produce testosterone, called Leydig, in the blood vessels and in the framework that supports the testis”, explained the researcher and andrologist Jorge Hallak, professor at the Faculty of Medicine. and coordinator of the Men’s Health Study Group at the USP Institute for Advanced Studies.
Additional precautions in prevention
The US study shows how the virus can impact the prostate, penis, testes and testicular vasculature. The results were published in preprint format, being considered preliminary research until publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
“These results indicate that testicular pain, erectile dysfunction, hypogonadism, reduced sperm count and quality, and decreased fertility associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection are a direct consequence of infection of male reproductive tract cells and not indirect mechanisms. , such as fever and inflammation,” Hope said.
The researcher pointed out that other viruses such as Paramyxovirus, which causes mumps, Ebola, Zika and SARS-COV-1, can also infect tissues of the male genital tract and negatively affect fertility. Mumps infection, for example, is widely known for the possibility of causing male sterility.
“Even if it’s just a small percentage of those infected, it represents millions of men who could experience a negative impact on their sexual health and fertility,” Hope said.
Clinical studies suggest that 10% to 20% of men infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience symptoms related to genital tract dysfunction. This suggests that tens of millions of men who have been infected, especially those who have had severe Covid-19, should seek medical evaluation as a preventive measure.
“The potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on sexual and reproductive health should be part of everyone’s decision to get vaccinated to minimize the chance of death, serious illness and hospitalization and infection of the prostate, penis, testes and vasculature (supply blood) of testes,” said the researcher.
Source: CNN Brasil
