SARS-CoV-2-Triggered Mast Cell Rapid Degranulation Induces Alveolar Epithelial Inflammation and Lung Injury

Wu, Meng-Li; Liu, Feng-Liang; Sun, Jing; Li, Xin; He, Xiao-Yan; Zheng, Hong-Yi; Pei, Rong-Juan; Sun, Hao; Zhou, Yan-Heng; Yan, Qi-Hong; Wu, Cai-Xia; Chen, Ling; Yu, Guo-Ying; Chang, Junbiao; Jin, Xia; Zhao, Jincun; Chen, Xin-Wen; Zheng, Yong-Tang; Wang, Jian-Hua

SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced hyper-inflammation links to the acute lung injury and COVID-19 severity. Identifying the primary mediators that initiate the uncontrolled hypercytokinemia is essential for treatments. Mast cells (MCs) are strategically located at the mucosa and beneficially or detrimentally regulate immune inflammations. Here we showed that SARS-CoV-2-triggeed MC degranulation initiated alveolar epithelial inflammation and lung injury. SARS-CoV-2 challenge induced MC degranulation in ACE-2 humanized mice and rhesus macaques, and a rapid MC degranulation could be recapitulated with Spike-RBD binding to ACE2 in cells; MC degranulation alterred various signaling pathways in alveolar epithelial cells, particularly, led to the production of pro-inflammatory factors and consequential disruption of tight junctions. Importantly, the administration of clinical MC stabilizers for blocking degranulation dampened SARS-CoV-2-induced production of pro-inflammatory factors and prevented lung injury. These findings uncover a novel mechanism for SARS-CoV-2 initiating lung inflammation, and suggest an off-label use of MC stabilizer as immunomodulators for COVID-19 treatments. Graphical abstract In Brief SARS-CoV-2 triggers an immediate mast cell (MC) degranulation, which initiates the alveolar epithelial inflammation and disrupts the tight junction. MC stabilizers that block degranulation reduce virus-induced lung inflammation and injury. Highlights The binding of RBD of Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2-to ACE2 receptor protein triggers an immediate MC degranulation MC degranulation induces transcriptomic changes include an upregulated inflammatory signaling and a downregulated cell-junction signaling MC degranulation leads to alveolar epithelial inflammation and disruption of tight junctions MC stabilizer that inhibits degranulation reduces SARS-CoV-2-induced lung inflammation and injury in vivo