FIGURE 6.

Inhibition of NF‐kB and SREBP in monocytes reduces SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA synthesis, production of proinflammatory mediators and protects the cells from virus‐mediated cytopathic effects. Monocytes were treated (overnight) or not with to VIP or PACAP (5 nM), culture medium was removed and then cells were infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 for 1 h, as described in Material and Methods. After infection, viral input was removed, and cells were washed and then reexposed to the neuropeptides associated or not with inhibitors of SREBP (AM580, 5 μM) or NF‐kB (Bay 11–7082, 5 μM). Viral RNA synthesis (A), cellular viability (B) and levels of TNF‐α and IL‐6 (C and D) were evaluated by qPCR, ELISA, and LDH release, respectively, in the culture supernatants 24 h after infection. Data in (A) are shown normalized to infected cells kept only with culture medium, and in (B, C, and D) represent means ± sd of absolute values. */#, p ≤ 0.05; **/##, p ≤ 0.01; ***/###, p ≤ 0.001; ns, not significant; (A–D) n = 6. Each dot represents an independent assay with 3 replicates