Metabolic Profiling from an Asymptomatic Ferret Model of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a contagious respiratory that causing significant global morbidity and mortality. Understanding the impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on host metabolism still in its infancy but great importance. Herein, we investigated metabolic response during viral shedding post-shedding an asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 ferret model (n = 6) challenged with two isolates. Virological analyses were performed (minimally invasive) collected oral swabs, rectal nasal washes. Fragments RNA only found wash samples four six ferrets, 3 to 9 days post-infection (referred as shedding). Central carbon metabolites analyzed periods using dynamic Multiple Reaction Monitoring (dMRM) database method. Subsequent untargeted metabolomics lipidomics same Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) methodology, building upon identified differentiated central metabolites. Multivariate analysis acquired data 29 three lipids subjected pathway enrichment analysis. The presence coincided challenge dose administered changes citric acid cycle, purine metabolism, pentose phosphate pathways, amongst others, samples. An elevated immune was also observed between isolates studied. These results support other metabolomic-based findings clinical observational studies indicate utility applied ferrets for further COVID-19 research advances early diagnosis mild infections, addition assessing effectiveness new or repurposed drug therapies.