Fig. 6: MVA-CoV2-S vaccination confers protection against brain damage induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection.
a,b, Stereological estimation of hypothalamic NeuN+ (a) and cortical Nissl+ neurons (b) from the control (uninfected) and experimental groups of the reinfection experiment (6 dpi): SARS-CoV-2 and MVA-S, 1 and 2 doses. c, Quantification of apoptotic c-casp3+ cells in the hypothalamus of SARS-CoV-2 and MVA-S (one or two doses) mice used in the reinfection experiment. d,e, Quantitative morphological analysis of microglial cells, using the Imaris software, in the cortex (b) and hypothalamus (d) showing total area, filament area and length and number of filament branching points from the experimental groups described. f, Quantification of abnormal blood vessel density in the hypothalamus. Data are presented as the mean ± s.e.m. Controls, n = 4 females; SARS-CoV-2, n = 4 females; MVA-S: 1 dose, n = 5 females; MVA-S 2 doses, n = 4 females (a–e) and n = 3 females (f). d,e, Representation of the individual microglial cell values from the experimental mice exposed as described above. ANOVA with post hoc Dunnett’s test (a, control versus SARS-CoV-2: P = 0.0003; SARS-CoV-2 versus MVA-S 1 dose: P = 0.0003; SARS-CoV-2 versus MVA-S 2 doses: P = 0.0004) or Fisher’s LSD (b, control versus SARS-CoV-2: P = 0.0001; SARS-CoV-2 versus MVA-S 1 dose: P = 0.0002; SARS-CoV-2 versus MVA-S 2 doses: P = 0.0003) and Kruskal–Wallis test with post hoc Dunn´s test (c,d,e,f). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001, with regard to SARS-CoV-2-infected mice.
