VIP plasma levels associate with survival in severe COVID-19 patients, correlating with protective effects in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells

Abstract Infection by SARS-CoV-2 may elicit uncontrolled and damaging inflammatory responses. Thus, it is critical to identify compounds able to inhibit virus replication and thwart the inflammatory reaction. Here, we show that the plasma levels of the immunoregulatory neuropeptide VIP are elevated in patients with severe COVID-19, correlating with reduced inflammatory mediators and with survival on those patients. In vitro, VIP and PACAP, highly similar neuropeptides, decreased the SARS-CoV-2 genome replication in human monocytes and viral production in lung epithelial cells, also reducing cell death. Both neuropeptides inhibited the production of proinflammatory mediators in lung epithelial cells and in monocytes. VIP and PACAP prevented in monocytes the SARS-CoV-2-induced activation of NF-kB and SREBP1 and SREBP2, transcriptions factors involved in proinflammatory reactions and lipid metabolism, respectively. They also promoted CREB activation, a transcription factor with antiapoptotic activity and negative regulator of NF-kB. Specific inhibition of NF-kB and SREBP1/2 reproduced the anti-inflammatory, antiviral and cell death protection effects of VIP and PACAP. Our results support further clinical investigations of these neuropeptides against COVID-19..

Medienart:

Preprint

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

bioRxiv.org - (2023) vom: 04. Okt. Zur Gesamtaufnahme - year:2023

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Temerozo, Jairo R. [VerfasserIn]
Sacramento, Carolina Q. [VerfasserIn]
Fintelman-Rodrigues, Natalia [VerfasserIn]
Pão, Camila R. R. [VerfasserIn]
de Freitas, Caroline S. [VerfasserIn]
Dias, Suelen Silva Gomes [VerfasserIn]
Ferreira, André C. [VerfasserIn]
Mattos, Mayara [VerfasserIn]
Soares, Vinicius Cardoso [VerfasserIn]
Teixeira, Lívia [VerfasserIn]
Azevedo-Quintanilha, Isaclaudia G. [VerfasserIn]
Hottz, Eugenio D. [VerfasserIn]
Kurtz, Pedro [VerfasserIn]
Bozza, Fernando A. [VerfasserIn]
Bozza, Patrícia T. [VerfasserIn]
Souza, Thiago Moreno L. [VerfasserIn]
Bou-Habib, Dumith Chequer [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext [lizenzpflichtig]
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Themen:

570
Biology

doi:

10.1101/2020.07.25.220806

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

XBI018423833