The global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as of 8 May 2021, has surpassed 150 700 000 infections and 3 279 000 deaths worldwide. Evidence indicates that SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected on particulate matter (PM), and COVID-19 cases are correlated with levels of air pollutants. However, the mechanisms of PM involvement in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 remain poorly understood. Here, we found that PM exposure increased the expression level of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) in several epithelial cells and increased the adsorption of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Instillation of PM in a hACE2 mouse model significantly increased the expression of ACE2 and Tmprss2 and viral replication in the lungs. Furthermore, PM exacerbated the pulmonary lesions caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection in the hACE2 mice. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that PM is an epidemiological factor of COVID-19, emphasizing the necessity of wearing anti-PM masks to cope with this global pandemic.
由严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒2 (SARS-CoV-2)引起的2019冠状病毒病在全球爆发，全球感染人数超过1.5亿，死亡327万人。有证据表明，可在大气颗粒物(PM)上检测到SARS-CoV-2 的RNA, COVID-19病例与空气污染物水平相关。然而，PM参与SARS-CoV-2传播的机制仍然鲜为人知。我们发现PM暴露增加了一些上皮细胞血管紧张素转换酶2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, ACE2)和跨膜丝氨酸蛋白酶2 (transmembrane serine protease 2, TMPRSS2)的表达水平，并增加了SARS-CoV-2刺突蛋白的吸附。在hACE2小鼠模型中灌注PM显著增加了肺中 ACE2和 Tmpss2的表达和病毒的复制。此外，PM加重了hACE2小鼠中SARS-CoV-2感染引起的肺部病变。综上所述，我们的研究表明，PM是COVID-19的一个流行因素，强调了佩戴防PM口罩应对这场全球大流行的必要性。.
Keywords: COVID-19; Epidemic risk; Particulate matter; SARS-CoV-2 entry factor; hACE2 mice.