Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Nov 14, 2024 1 week, 1 day, 16 hours, 11 minutes ago
Medical News: Study Overview: How Zinc Sulfate Impacts COVID-19 in the Brain
A recent study explores the potential for zinc sulfate to shield the brain from COVID-19’s severe effects. Researchers at Konkuk University, Seoul National University, Yonsei University College of Medicine, and the KU Center for Animal Blood Medical Science in South Korea utilized K18-hACE2 transgenic mice to examine the virus’s journey from the nose to the brain. By disrupting olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) with zinc sulfate, they aimed to stop the virus from reaching the brain, as early research suggests the olfactory pathway might be the virus’s entry point to the central nervous system.
Zinc Sulfate May Block COVID-19 Brain Invasion
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This
Medical News report highlights findings from the study, which used two groups of mice - those infected with SARS-CoV-2 and a group pretreated with zinc sulfate. By inhibiting the olfactory nerve route, the study suggests it may be possible to prevent the virus from impacting the brain, with promising results in terms of survival rates and reduced viral presence.
Research Process and Experimental Design
The team’s experimental approach involved infecting both groups of mice with SARS-CoV-2 and comparing clinical outcomes, brain inflammation, and viral presence. In addition, zinc sulfate was administered intranasally in a 3% solution to one group of mice for three days before SARS-CoV-2 infection. Observations over 16 days tracked body weight, activity, temperature, and survival rate, revealing marked differences between the groups.
The zinc sulfate group showed a 61.5% survival rate after infection, compared to no survivors in the non-treated infected group. Researchers observed reduced viral RNA in the brains of zinc sulfate-treated mice and noted milder signs of brain inflammation, suggesting that OSNs play a key role in COVID-19’s neuroinvasion pathway.
Key Findings on Brain Invasion and Lung Impact
One of the core findings from this study is the distinct way COVID-19 impacts brain and lung tissues when zinc sulfate is introduced. For instance, while lung inflammation remained similar between both groups, brain inflammation differed notably. In the zinc sulfate group, brain tissue showed less perivascular cuffing, a type of inflammation where immune cells accumulate around blood vessels, which was prevalent in non-treated mice.
Using histopathological analysis, the team observed that the lungs’ response to SARS-CoV-2 was less affected by zinc sulfate, suggesting that the protective effects were more localized to the brain. Further analysis showed that the virus persisted in olfactory epithelium (OE) cells within the nasal cavity of non-treated mice, while this presence was significantly reduced in zinc-treated mice.
Detailed Observations on Olfactory Epithelium and Viral Pathways
Another part of the study looked closely at the nasal olfactory epithelium (OE) using immunofluoresc
ence imaging. The results showed that zinc sulfate treatment led to significant damage to the OSNs and surrounding cells within the OE, an area responsible for transmitting smell signals to the brain. In untreated mice, OE cells remained largely intact, providing a clear pathway for the virus. However, in the zinc-treated group, the disruption to OSNs and related pathways blocked this route, indicating a possible explanation for the reduced brain infection rates observed in these mice.
Researchers believe that COVID-19 relies on these neurons in the OE to reach the central nervous system. By eliminating OSNs, zinc sulfate potentially blocks this access route, reducing the chance of viral spread to brain tissues.
Conclusions and Future Implications
This study opens new possibilities in understanding COVID-19’s neurological impacts and finding ways to limit brain infection pathways. The results support the hypothesis that the olfactory route is critical for SARS-CoV-2’s journey to the brain, emphasizing the significance of OSNs in this process. This aligns with earlier research on COVID-19 and neurological symptoms, where symptoms like loss of smell and taste often signal brain involvement.
The findings suggest that early intervention targeting the olfactory system could offer a therapeutic avenue for reducing COVID-19’s severe effects on the brain. However, researchers stress that these findings in mice need further examination to determine their relevance in human COVID-19 cases.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: Scientific Reports.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1038/s41598-024-78538-5
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