Fig. 1: Paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly changes anxiety-like behavior in F1 offspring. | Nature Communications

Fig. 1: Paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly changes anxiety-like behavior in F1 offspring.

From: Paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts sperm small noncoding RNAs and increases anxiety in offspring in a sex-dependent manner

Fig. 1

A Behavioral battery and timeline for the main F1 and F2 cohorts. Paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly decreases (B) % time spent in the light zone of the light-dark box (n = 19 CON M, n = 21 CON F, n = 16 P.SARS M, n = 18 P.SARS F) without changing the (C) number of entries into the light zone (n = 19 CON M, n = 21 CON F, n = 16 P.SARS M, n = 18 P.SARS F) for F1 offspring. Paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly increases (D) the latency to enter the light zone in the male offspring only (P = 0.022, general linear model with Bonferroni correction)(n = 19 CON M, n = 21 CON F, n = 16 P.SARS M, n = 18 P.SARS F) and significantly decreases the (E) % time spent in the centre of the open-field (n = 19 CON M, n = 22 CON F, n = 16 P.SARS M, n = 18 P.SARS F) while increasing the (F) overall anxiety behavioral z-scores (n = 19 CON M, n = 22 CON F, n = 16 P.SARS M, n = 18 P.SARS F) for F1 offspring. Paternal SARS-CoV-2 has no significant effects on (G) the total distance traveled in the open-field (n = 19 CON M, n = 22 CON F, n = 16 P.SARS M, n = 18 P.SARS F), (H) the recognition index in trial 2 of the novel-object recognition test (n = 12), (I) % time spent in contact with the guest mice over 10 min (n = 12 CON M, n = 10 CON F, n = 12 P.SARS M, n = 11 P.SARS F), (J) % preference for sucrose in the sucrose preference test (n = 11 CON M, n = 11 CON F, n = 12 P.SARS M, n = 11 P.SARS F), and (K) latency to feed in the novelty-suppressed feeding test for F1 offspring (n = 12 CON M, n = 12 CON F, n = 11 P.SARS M, n = 12 P.SARS F). Paternal SARS-CoV-2 significantly alters (L) overall depression behavioral z-scores (P = 0.023, general linear model with Bonferroni correction)(n = 12), while not affecting (M) whole brain weight (n = 10 CON M, n = 7 CON F, n = 11 P.SARS M, n = 7 P.SARS F), and (N) F1 plasma IL-6 levels at 2-h post-Poly I:C injection (12 mg/kg) (n = 6 CON M saline, n = 6 CON M poly I:C, n = 5 CON F saline, n = 6 CON F poly I:C, n = 6 P.SARS M saline, n = 6 P.SARS M poly I:C, n = 6 P.SARS F saline, n = 6 P.SARS F poly I:C)(P value from left to right: P = 0.0004, P = 0.0002, P = 0.0004, P < 0.0001, general linear model with Bonferroni correction). Data presented as mean ± SEM. General linear models and linear mixed models were used with post-hoc analyses where appropriate (Bonferroni-Holm corrected) except for K. Cox regression with proportional hazards was used to analyse K. Each n number refers to the number of individual animals per group. PPaternal Treatment = main effect of paternal treatment, PPaternal Treatment x sex = interaction effect of paternal treatment by sex. *P < 0.05, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001. Created in BioRender. Kleeman, L. (https://BioRender.com/gaza9wr).

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