Experimental Model of Pulmonary Inflammation Induced by SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Endotoxin

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  • Manoj Puthia
  • Lloyd Tanner
  • Ganna Petruk
  • Artur Schmidtchen

COVID-19 is characterized by a dysregulated and excessive inflammatory response and, in severe cases, acute respiratory distress syndrome. We have recently demonstrated a previously unknown high-affinity interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), leading to the boosting of inflammation. Here we present a mouse inflammation model employing the coadministration of aerosolized S protein together with LPS to the lungs. Using NF-κB-RE-Luc reporter and C57BL/6 mice followed by combinations of bioimaging, cytokine, chemokine, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and histochemistry analyses, we show that the model yields severe pulmonary inflammation and a cytokine profile similar to that observed in COVID-19. Therefore, the model offers utility for analyses of the pathophysiological features of COVID-19 and the development of new treatments.

Original languageEnglish
JournalACS Pharmacology and Translational Science
Volume5
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)141-148
Number of pages8
ISSN2575-9108
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Mar 2022

Bibliographical note

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© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society

    Research areas

  • ARDS, COVID-19 in vivo models, LPS, SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, TCP-25

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