Obesity is associated with a higher risk of severe COVID-19 and increased mortality. In the current study, we have investigated the expression of ACE2, NRP1, and HMGB1, known to facilitate SARS-CoV-2 cell entry, in adipose tissue from non-COVID-19 control patients with normal weight, overweight and obesity. All factors were expressed, but no significant differences between the groups were observed. Furthermore, diabetes status and medications did not affect the expression of ACE2. Only in obese men, the expression of ACE2 in adipose tissue was higher than in obese women. In adipose tissue from patients that died from COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in the adipocytes even though the patients died more than three weeks after the acute infection. This suggests that adipocytes may act as reservoirs for the virus. In COVID-19 patients, the expression of NRP1 was increased in COVID-19 patients with overweight and obesity. Furthermore, we observed an increased infiltration with macrophages in the COVID-19 adipose tissues compared to control adipose tissue. In addition, crown-like structures of dying adipocytes surrounded by macrophages were observed in the adipose tissue from COVID-19 patients. These data suggest that in obese individuals, in addition to an increased mass of adipose tissue that could potentially be infected, increased macrophage infiltration due to direct infection with SARS-CoV-2 and sustained viral shedding, rather than preinfection ACE2 receptor expression, may be responsible for the increased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in patients with obesity.
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Charlotte Steenblock, Nicole Bechmann, Felix Beuschlein, Christian Wolfrum, and Stefan R. Bornstein
Steffi Kopprasch, Jens Pietzsch, Ishrath Ansurudeen, Juergen Graessler, Alexander W Krug, Monika Ehrhart-Bornstein, and Stefan R Bornstein
Modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and abnormal aldosterone and cortisol metabolism have been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (DM2) and diabetic vascular disease. Since LDL serves as a major cholesterol source for adrenal steroidogenesis, we investigated whether LDL modification in prediabetic and diabetic subjects influences adrenocortical aldosterone and cortisol release. LDL was isolated from 30 subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT-LDL), 30 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT-LDL), and 26 patients with DM2 (DM2-LDL). Oxidation and glycoxidation characteristics of LDL apolipoprotein B100 of each individual was assessed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. Human adrenocortical cells (NCI-H295R) were incubated for 24 h with 100 μg/ml LDL and after removal of supernatants stimulated for a further 24 h with angiotensin II (AngII). In supernatants, aldosterone and cortisol secretion was measured. IGT-LDL and DM2-LDL were substantially more modified than NGT-LDL. Each of the five measured oxidation/glycoxidation markers was significantly positively associated with glycemic control, measured as HbA1c. LDL from all subjects stimulated both the basal and AngII-induced aldosterone and cortisol release from adrenocortical cells. However, hormone secretion was significantly inversely related to the degree of LDL oxidation/glycoxidation. We conclude that LDL modifications in IGT and DM2 subjects may have significant clinical benefits by counteracting prediabetic and diabetic overactivity of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system and enhanced cortisol generation.
Matthias Haase, Matthias Schott, Stefan R Bornstein, Ludwik K Malendowicz, Werner A Scherbaum, and Holger S Willenberg
CITED2 gene deletion in mice leads to adrenal agenesis. Therefore, we analyzed CITED2, a CBP/p300 interacting transactivator with transforming activity, in the human adrenal gland. In this study, we examined CITED2 expression in human embryonic and adult adrenal glands as well as adrenocortical carcinomas. As ACTH and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are connected to the physiology and growth of adrenocortical cells we studied the regulation of CITED2 by these factors in the NCI-H295R adrenocortical carcinoma cell line. We found CITED2 expression in the adult adrenal cortex as well in adrenocortical carcinomas. At an early stage of human adrenal organogenesis CITED2 could be located to the definitive zone of the developing adrenal gland using immunohistochemistry. In NCI-H295R cells, stimulation by bFGF led to a dose-dependent increase in CITED2 promotor activity, mRNA and protein expression while ACTH had no significant effect. The stimulatory effect of bFGF could be reduced by blocking mitogen-activated protein kinase activity using the MAPkinase kinase (MEK1)-inhibitor PD98059. CITED2 is expressed in embryonic and adult human adrenal glands as well as in adrenocortical cancer. It is connected to the signaling cascades of bFGF and its expression is modulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases. This suggests a novel role for CITED2 in human adrenal growth and possibly in adrenal tumorigenesis.
