Effects of COVID-19 on human skeletal muscle contractile proteins: morphological and biochemical analyzes

• Grant number: 21/12719-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2022
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Anabelle Silva Cornachione
• Grantee: Sarah Calado Galvão de Melo
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has been affecting the daily lives of millions of people since the end of 2019. COVID-19 is described as a multi-organ disease that affects not only the respiratory tract of infected individuals, but has considerable effects on the musculoskeletal system, causing excessive fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, muscle weakness, and skeletal muscles damage. These symptoms can persist for months even after the infection ends, impacting the quality of life of individuals who should have fully recovered. Little is known about the effect of COVID-19 on skeletal muscles, especially of individuals who had mild-to-moderate forms of the disease and did not require hospitalization and ventilatory support. Therefore, in order to verify the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on contractile proteins, we will analyze through Immunofluorescence and Western Blotting the content of sarcomeric alpha actinic and tropomyosin-3 of skeletal muscles (vastus lateralis) from individuals who presented mild-to-moderate forms of COVID-19 and recovered from it. We expect to obtain results that demonstrate the negative effects of COVID-19 disease on the contractile apparatus and that the function of the skeletal muscle is impaired by the viral infection even after its end.(AU)