Compared with the control group, GIM rats occupied 60 upregulating genes and 53 downregulating genes in tongue dorsal mucosal tissue cells (Fig. 4B), which were mainly enriched in coronavirus-COVID-19 pathway, ribosome pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis pathway, IL-17 pathway, and legionellosis pathway (Fig. 4C). The gene discussed is IL17A; the disease is atherosclerosis.