Effects of Nucleocapsid Protein of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus on Blood Triglyceride and Cholesterol

Objective:To investigate the effects of nucleocapsid protein(N protein) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV) on blood triglyceride and cholesterol.Methods:144 cases of SARS patients were analysed by testing the concentration of their blood triglyceride and cholesterol.Simultaneously twenty mice were randomly assigned to two groups which were continuously given physiological saline and SARS-CoV N protein for 9 days,then the changes of body weight,blood triglyceride and cholesterol were tested.Results:The concentration of blood triglyceride and cholesterol in the bodies of SARS patients increases in line with disease time(P0.05).The rising of blood triglyceride and cholesterol of patients around 40th day were observed,and the proportion of the patients who has high concentration of triglyceride or cholesterol around 40th day is higher than the proportion in other period.The body weight of mice in SARS-CoV N protein group was significantly higher than those in control group(P0.05).The concentration of triglyceride of mice in SARS-CoV N protein group was obviously higher than those in control group in the 39th and 51th day.The concentration of cholesterol in SARS-CoV N protein group was obviously higher than those in control group in the 21th and the 39th day(P0.05).Conclusion:Triglyc-eride and cholesterol levels of SARS patients changed obviously through disease time,and the levels obviously rose around 40 days.SARS-CoV N protein can increase the body weight and the levels of triglyceride and cholesterol of mice,and the increment was obvious around the 39th day which is consistent with SARS patients.It can be seen that SARS-CoV N protein is the important cause of increasing the concentration of triglyceride and cholesterol after SARS infection.