A respiratory transmission disease, Covid-19 can cause impacts to the body that go beyond damage to the lungs and respiratory tract. Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) are continuously investigating hormonal changes and inflammation in the testicles caused by the coronavirus.
An experimental study showed that Spike protein, a structure used by the virus to invade human cells, is associated with lower levels of testosterone. The USP researchers also identified that the quantity and quality of spermatozoa decreased in part of the patients, who are followed up in clinical and laboratory research.
According to researcher Jorge Hallak, professor at the Department of Pathology at the USP School of Medicine, the changes were also detected in patients with mild and moderate disease.
“This was not associated as in other pathologies and other factors that we have studied in the past, for example, cigarettes and marijuana,” says Hallak, one of the study’s authors, in a statement. “The SARS-CoV-2 virus has a predilection for systems and cells that have a [ACE2]that is, it has a bond in the cell […] usually by the S protein”, explains the professor.
Different systems of the human organism have this receptor, including the respiratory system, which is usually impacted by the infection. The connections between the virus and the cell occur like a lock and key model.
In the case of the male reproductive system, unlike the female, there is the presence of the TMPRSS2 protein, which also allows the entry of the virus that causes Covid-19 into the cell.
The USP researchers believe that this specific difference may be related to a greater resistance of women to the severe conditions of the disease.
low testosterone
Specialists study the recovery time after the drop in hormone levels and whether other proteins are associated with the condition. Preliminary analyzes point to an average of nine months.
The research group investigates the action of protein N. In tests with mice, which have a high reproductive rate, the protein decreased testosterone. “To affect the hormonal system of an animal that has this biological ability to reproduce, the impact is very significant”, says the researcher.
Impacts on the testicle
In previous studies, scientists have identified that the coronavirus is capable of invading all types of testicle cells, causing lesions that can impair hormonal function and male fertility.
To arrive at the result, experts performed an autopsy of the testicular tissues of 11 patients, aged between 32 and 88 years, who died due to complications from Covid-19. The study is coordinated by professors Paulo Saldiva and Marisa Dolhnikoff, from the USP School of Medicine.
“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”, explains Hallak.
The analyzes showed a series of lesions, possibly associated with inflammatory changes, which reduce the production of sperm and hormones. The drop in activity may be related to lesions and thrombosis formation, which reduce tissue oxygenation of structures where sperm are produced.
Source: CNN Brasil
