SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein‑induced host inflammatory response signature in human corneal epithelial cells

Zhu,Guoqiang; Lyu,Leyu; Yang,Hua; Liu,Guibo; Yang,Shuo; Gu,Chuankai; Wang,Limei; Yan,Haijing; Hu,Ming; Che,Chengye

doi:10.3892/mmr.2021.12223

SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein‑induced host inflammatory response signature in human corneal epithelial cells

Authors:
- Guoqiang Zhu
- Leyu Lyu
- Hua Yang
- Guibo Liu
- Shuo Yang
- Chuankai Gu
- Limei Wang
- Haijing Yan
- Ming Hu
- Chengye Che
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Affiliations: Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China, Department of Special Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266021, P.R. China
Published online on: June 15, 2021 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2021.12223
Article Number: 584

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Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‑2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), led to an outbreak of viral pneumonia in December 2019. The present study aimed to investigate the host inflammatory response signature‑caused by SARS‑CoV‑2 in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs). The expression level of angiotensin‑converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the human cornea was determined via immunofluorescence. In vitro experiments were performed in HCECs stimulated with the SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein. Moreover, the expression levels of ACE2, IL‑8, TNF‑α, IL‑6, gasdermin D (GSDMD) and IL‑1β in HCECs were detected using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and/or western blotting. It was identified that ACE2 was expressed in normal human corneal epithelium and HCECs cultured in vitro. Furthermore, the expression levels of IL‑8, TNF‑α and IL‑6 in HCECs were decreased following SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein stimulation, while the expression levels of GSDMD and IL‑1β were increased. In conclusion, the present results demonstrated that the SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein suppressed the host inflammatory response and induced pyroptosis in HCECs. Therefore, blocking the ACE2 receptor in HCECs may reduce the infection rate of COVID‑19.

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