Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Exposure Induces Inflammation and Impairs Reproductive Outcomes in Mice.
5 affiliations
- 1Laboratório de Farmacologia da Dor e da Inflamação, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil.
- 2Laboratório de Toxicologia Ambiental, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-210, Brazil.
- 3Coordenação de Atividades com Modelos Biológicos Experimentais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil.
- 4Departamento de Ciências Naturais da Terra, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 35501-170, Brazil.
- 5Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Laboratório de Virologia Básica e Aplicada, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil.
Abstract
COVID-19 has been associated with reproductive dysfunction, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (iSARS-CoV-2) exposure on reproductive outcomes in K18-hACE2 mice. Pregnant females exposed during early gestation showed reduced fetal number, increased resorptions and decreased placental efficiency. These alterations were associated with pulmonary inflammation, characterized by elevated TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ levels and histopathological damage. In males, exposure impaired the sperm count, motility and reproductive performance, and negatively affected pregnancy outcomes in untreated females. Notably, inflammatory responses occurred in the absence of viral replication, indicating that viral components can trigger systemic effects. Together, these findings demonstrate that inactivated SARS-CoV-2 induces inflammation that compromises fertility and gestational success in both sexes.
Related
- Chronic Microcystin-LR Exposure Induces Colorectal Inflammation Associated with Macrophage Infiltration and HIF-1α-Related Glycolytic Reprogramming
- Association between Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and Reproductive Outcomes following In Vitro Fertilization: A Retrospective Cohort Study
- Systemic inflammation induces a myocardial inflammatory transcriptional signature without cardiac dysfunction in murine arthritis
- Early-life PFAS exposure induces systemic metabolic alterations in plasma and brain in mice
- Particulate matter inhalation induces male reproductive dysfunction comparable to renal failure: insights from a rat model.
BibTeX
@article{franca2026inactivated,
title = {{Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Exposure Induces Inflammation and Impairs Reproductive Outcomes in Mice.}},
author = {Patrícia Ribeiro de Carvalho França and João Pedro Barros de Paiva and Amanda Gabriel Valente and Alan Silva Minho and Renato Sampaio Carvalho and Rosangela Ribeiro de Carvalho and Luiz Ricardo Berbert and Marcel Frajblat and Maria Marta Figueiredo and Daisymara Priscila de Almeida Marques and Jordana Grazziela Alves Coelho-Dos-Reis and Patricia Dias Fernandes},
journal = {Viruses},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/v18101112},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42944032},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Exposure Induces Inflammation and Impairs Reproductive Outcomes in Mice.
AU - Patrícia Ribeiro de Carvalho França
AU - João Pedro Barros de Paiva
AU - Amanda Gabriel Valente
AU - Alan Silva Minho
AU - Renato Sampaio Carvalho
AU - Rosangela Ribeiro de Carvalho
AU - Luiz Ricardo Berbert
AU - Marcel Frajblat
AU - Maria Marta Figueiredo
AU - Daisymara Priscila de Almeida Marques
AU - Jordana Grazziela Alves Coelho-Dos-Reis
AU - Patricia Dias Fernandes
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Viruses
DO - 10.3390/v18101112
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42944032
AB - COVID-19 has been associated with reproductive dysfunction, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (iSARS-CoV-2) exposure on reproductive outcomes in K18-hACE2 mice. Pregnant females exposed during early gestation showed reduced fetal number, increased resorptions and decreased placental efficiency. These alterations were associated with pulmonary inflammation, characterized by elevated TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ levels and histopathological damage. In males, exposure impaired the sperm count, motility and reproductive performance, and negatively affected pregnancy outcomes in untreated females. Notably, inflammatory responses occurred in the absence of viral replication, indicating that viral components can trigger systemic effects. Together, these findings demonstrate that inactivated SARS-CoV-2 induces inflammation that compromises fertility and gestational success in both sexes.
SN - 1999-4915
ER -