Can Melatonin Reduce the Severity of COVID-19 Pandemic?
| Autor: | Aleksandr Kudriavtsev, Anna Vakhrusheva, Alexander M. Shneider |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
0301 basic medicine
Aging Photoperiod Immunology Pneumonia Viral Nonprescription Drugs Inflammation medicine.disease_cause Antioxidants Proinflammatory cytokine immunology Melatonin 03 medical and health sciences Betacoronavirus 0302 clinical medicine Immunity Fibrosis Chiroptera medicine Immunology and Allergy Animals Humans Pandemics Aged Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 business.industry Age Factors COVID-19 medicine.disease Circadian Rhythm Sleep deprivation 030104 developmental biology 030220 oncology & carcinogenesis medicine.symptom Coronavirus Infections business Oxidative stress medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | International Reviews of Immunology |
| Popis: | The current COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most devastating events in recent history. The virus causes relatively minor damage to young, healthy populations, imposing life-threatening danger to the elderly and people with diseases of chronic inflammation. Therefore, if we could reduce the risk for vulnerable populations, it would make the COVID-19 pandemic more similar to other typical outbreaks. Children don’t suffer from COVID-19 as much as their grandparents and have a much higher melatonin level. Bats are nocturnal animals possessing high levels of melatonin, which may contribute to their high anti-viral resistance. Viruses induce an explosion of inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species, and melatonin is the best natural antioxidant that is lost with age. The programmed cell death coronaviruses cause, which can result in significant lung damage, is also inhibited by melatonin. Coronavirus causes inflammation in the lungs which requires inflammasome activity. Melatonin blocks these inflammasomes. General immunity is impaired by anxiety and sleep deprivation. Melatonin improves sleep habits, reduces anxiety and stimulates immunity. Fibrosis may be the most dangerous complication after COVID-19. Melatonin is known to prevent fibrosis. Mechanical ventilation may be necessary but yet imposes risks due to oxidative stress, which can be reduced by melatonin. Thus, by using the safe over-the-counter drug melatonin, we may be immediately able to prevent the development of severe disease symptoms in coronavirus patients, reduce the severity of their symptoms, and/or reduce the immuno-pathology of coronavirus infection on patients’ health after the active phase of the infection is over. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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