Bioactive Lipids in COVID-19-Further Evidence

• Published in: Archives of medical research Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 107 - 120
• Main Author: Das, Undurti N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.01.2021; IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Arachidonic acid; Arachidonic Acid - administration & dosage; Arachidonic Acid - blood; Bioactive lipids; COVID-19; COVID-19 - blood; COVID-19 - immunology; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Cytokines; Cytokines - immunology; Humans; Inflammation; Lipids - administration & dosage; Lipids - blood; Opinion; Rats; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Inflammation; Bioactive lipids; Cytokines; Arachidonic acid
• ISSN: 0188-4409; 1873-5487; 1873-5487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2020.09.006

Previously, I suggested that arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4 n-6) and similar bioactive lipids (BALs) inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and thus, may be of benefit in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. This proposal is supported by the observation that (i) macrophages and T cells (including NK cells, cytotoxic killer cells and other immunocytes) release AA and other BALs especially in the lungs to inactivate various microbes; (ii) pro-inflammatory metabolites prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotrienes (LTs) and anti-inflammatory lipoxin A4 (LXA4) derived from AA (similarly, resolvins, protectins and maresins derived from eicosapentaenoic acid: EPA and docosahexaenoic acid: DHA) facilitate the generation of M1 (pro-inflammatory) and M2 (anti-inflammatory) macrophages respectively; (iii) AA, PGE2, LXA4 and other BALs inhibit interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) synthesis; (iv) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are of benefit in COVID-19 elaborate LXA4 to bring about their beneficial actions and (v) subjects with insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary heart disease and the elderly have significantly low plasma concentrations of AA and LXA4 that may render them more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and cytokine storm that is associated with increased mortality seen in COVID-19. Statins, colchicine, and corticosteroids that appear to be of benefit in COVID-19 can influence BALs metabolism. AA, and other BALs influence cell membrane fluidity and thus, regulate ACE-2 (angiotensin converting enzyme-2) receptors (the ligand through which SARS-CoV2 enters the cell) receptors. These observations lend support to the contention that administration of BALs especially, AA could be of significant benefit in prevention and management of COVI-19 and other enveloped viruses.