Histopathology of the Tongue in a Hamster Model of COVID-19

With altered sense of taste being a common symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), our objective was to investigate the presence and distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) within the tongue over the course of infection.

Golden Syrian hamsters were inoculated intranasally with SARS-CoV-2 and tongues were collected at 2, 3, 5, 8, 17, 21, 35, and 42 days post-infection (dpi) for analysis. In order to test for gross changes in the tongue, the papillae of the tongue were counted. Paraffin-embedded thin sections of the tongues were labeled for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigen.

There was no difference in fungiform or filiform papillae density throughout the course of infection. SARS-CoV-2 antigen was observed in the circumvallate papillae taste buds (3-35 dpi) and autonomic ganglia (5-35 dpi), as well as in the serous and mucous salivary glands of the posterior tongue (2-42 dpi).

The presence and distribution of SARS-CoV-2 suggest that the virus could cause taste disturbance by infecting the circumvallate taste buds. This effect could be exacerbated by a diminished secretion of saliva caused by infection of the serous salivary glands and the autonomic ganglia which innervate them.