Emerg Infect Dis. 2023 Nov;29(11):2275-2284. doi: 10.3201/eid2911.230804.
SARS-CoV-2 induces illness and death in humans by causing systemic infections. Evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 can induce brain pathology in humans and other hosts. In this study, we used a canine transmission model to examine histopathologic changes in the brains of dogs infected with SARS-CoV-2. We observed substantial brain pathology in SARS-CoV-2-infected dogs, particularly involving blood-brain barrier damage resembling small vessel disease, including changes in tight junction proteins, reduced laminin levels, and decreased pericyte coverage. Furthermore, we detected phosphorylated tau, a marker of neurodegenerative disease, indicating a potential link between SARS-CoV-2-associated small vessel disease and neurodegeneration. Our findings of degenerative changes in the dog brain during SARS-CoV-2 infection emphasize the potential for transmission to other hosts and induction of similar signs and symptoms. The dynamic brain changes in dogs highlight that even asymptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 may develop neuropathologic changes in the brain.
SARS-CoV-2 通过引起全身感染导致人类患病和死亡。有证据表明，SARS-CoV-2 可在人类和其他宿主中引起脑部病理变化。在这项研究中，我们使用犬传播模型来检查感染 SARS-CoV-2 的犬的大脑中的组织病理学变化。我们观察到 SARS-CoV-2 感染犬的大量脑部病理变化，特别是涉及类似于小血管疾病的血脑屏障损伤，包括紧密连接蛋白的变化、层粘连蛋白水平降低和周细胞覆盖率降低。此外，我们检测到磷酸化 tau，这是神经退行性疾病的标志物，表明 SARS-CoV-2 相关的小血管疾病和神经退行性变之间可能存在联系。我们在 SARS-CoV-2 感染期间观察到犬大脑中的退行性变化，强调了向其他宿主传播和诱导类似体征和症状的潜力。犬脑中的动态变化表明，即使无症状感染 SARS-CoV-2 的个体也可能在大脑中出现神经病理学变化。
