University of Coimbra, Institute of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal; Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, ESTESC-Coimbra Health School, Pharmacy, Coimbra, Portugal.
University of Coimbra, Institute of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Coimbra, Portugal; Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), Coimbra, Portugal.
Ageing Res Rev. 2020 Sep;62:101123. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101123. Epub 2020 Jul 16.
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is a pandemic condition caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The typical symptoms are fever, cough, shortness of breath, evolving to a clinical picture of pneumonia and, ultimately, death. Nausea and diarrhea are equally frequent, suggesting viral infection or transmission via the gastrointestinal-enteric system. SARS-CoV-2 infects human cells by using angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor, which is cleaved by transmembrane proteases during host cells infection, thus reducing its activities. ACE2 is a relevant player in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), counterbalancing the deleterious effects of angiotensin II. Furthermore, intestinal ACE2 functions as a chaperone for the aminoacid transporter BAT1. It has been suggested that BAT1/ACE2 complex in the intestinal epithelium regulates gut microbiota (GM) composition and function, with important repercussions on local and systemic immune responses against pathogenic agents, namely virus. Notably, productive infection of SARS-CoV-2 in ACE2 mature human enterocytes and patients' GM dysbiosis was recently demonstrated. This review outlines the evidence linking abnormal ACE2 functions with the poor outcomes (higher disease severity and mortality rate) in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing age-related comorbidities and addresses a possible role for GM dysbiosis. The article culminates with the therapeutics opportunities based on these pathways.
新型冠状病毒病(COVID-19)是由新型冠状病毒 SARS-CoV-2 引起的大流行疾病。典型症状为发热、咳嗽、呼吸急促,发展为肺炎临床症状,最终导致死亡。恶心和腹泻同样常见,提示病毒感染或通过胃肠道系统传播。SARS-CoV-2 通过血管紧张素转换酶 2(ACE2)作为受体感染人体细胞,在宿主细胞感染过程中被跨膜蛋白酶切割,从而降低其活性。ACE2 是肾素-血管紧张素系统(RAS)的重要参与者,抵消了血管紧张素 II 的有害作用。此外,肠道 ACE2 作为氨基酸转运蛋白 BAT1 的伴侣发挥作用。有人提出,肠道上皮细胞中的 BAT1/ACE2 复合物调节肠道微生物群(GM)的组成和功能,对针对病原体(即病毒)的局部和全身免疫反应有重要影响。值得注意的是,最近证明了 SARS-CoV-2 在 ACE2 成熟的人类肠上皮细胞中的复制感染和患者 GM 失调。这篇综述概述了 ACE2 功能异常与 COVID-19 患者合并年龄相关合并症时不良预后(更高的疾病严重程度和死亡率)之间的关联,并探讨了 GM 失调的可能作用。本文最后讨论了基于这些途径的治疗机会。
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