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Volume 12
Issue 7
10.3390/biomedicines12071443
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Article

Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Infection Causes Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Long-Lasting Energy Metabolism Suppression

by
Sachiko T. Homma
1,*,
Xingyu Wang
2,
Justin J. Frere
3,
Adam C. Gower
4,
Jingsong Zhou
5,
Jean K. Lim
3,
Benjamin R. tenOever
6 and
Lan Zhou
2,*
1
Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
2
Department of Neurology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA
3
Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
4
Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
5
College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76010, USA
6
Department of Microbiology, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY 10016, USA
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biomedicines 2024, 12(7), 1443; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12071443
Submission received: 18 May 2024 / Revised: 19 June 2024 / Accepted: 22 June 2024 / Published: 28 June 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research in Post-COVID (Long COVID): Pathological and Treatment Studies of Sequelae and Complications—2nd Edition)
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Abstract

Muscle fatigue represents the most prevalent symptom of long-term COVID, with elusive pathogenic mechanisms. We performed a longitudinal study to characterize histopathological and transcriptional changes in skeletal muscle in a hamster model of respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection and compared them with influenza A virus (IAV) and mock infections. Histopathological and bulk RNA sequencing analyses of leg muscles derived from infected animals at days 3, 30, and 60 post-infection showed no direct viral invasion but myofiber atrophy in the SARS-CoV-2 group, which was accompanied by persistent downregulation of the genes related to myofibers, ribosomal proteins, fatty acid β-oxidation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation complexes. While both SARS-CoV-2 and IAV infections induced acute and transient type I and II interferon responses in muscle, only the SARS-CoV-2 infection upregulated TNF-α/NF-κB but not IL-6 signaling in muscle. Treatment of C2C12 myotubes, a skeletal muscle cell line, with combined IFN-γ and TNF-α but not with IFN-γ or TNF-α alone markedly impaired mitochondrial function. We conclude that a respiratory SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause myofiber atrophy and persistent energy metabolism suppression without direct viral invasion. The effects may be induced by the combined systemic interferon and TNF-α responses at the acute phase and may contribute to post-COVID-19 persistent muscle fatigue.
Keywords: COVID-19; long COVID; influenza; muscle fatigue; muscle atrophy; energy metabolism; mitochondria; interferons; tumor necrosis factor-alpha COVID-19; long COVID; influenza; muscle fatigue; muscle atrophy; energy metabolism; mitochondria; interferons; tumor necrosis factor-alpha

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MDPI and ACS Style

Homma, S.T.; Wang, X.; Frere, J.J.; Gower, A.C.; Zhou, J.; Lim, J.K.; tenOever, B.R.; Zhou, L. Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Infection Causes Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Long-Lasting Energy Metabolism Suppression. Biomedicines 2024, 12, 1443. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12071443

AMA Style

Homma ST, Wang X, Frere JJ, Gower AC, Zhou J, Lim JK, tenOever BR, Zhou L. Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Infection Causes Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Long-Lasting Energy Metabolism Suppression. Biomedicines. 2024; 12(7):1443. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12071443

Chicago/Turabian Style

Homma, Sachiko T., Xingyu Wang, Justin J. Frere, Adam C. Gower, Jingsong Zhou, Jean K. Lim, Benjamin R. tenOever, and Lan Zhou. 2024. "Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Infection Causes Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Long-Lasting Energy Metabolism Suppression" Biomedicines 12, no. 7: 1443. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12071443

APA Style

Homma, S. T., Wang, X., Frere, J. J., Gower, A. C., Zhou, J., Lim, J. K., tenOever, B. R., & Zhou, L. (2024). Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Infection Causes Skeletal Muscle Atrophy and Long-Lasting Energy Metabolism Suppression. Biomedicines, 12(7), 1443. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12071443

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