Am J Med Sci . Can a Combination of AT1R Antagonist and Vitamin D Treat the Lung Complication of COVID-19?

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Am J Med Sci


. 2020 Jul 15;S0002-9629(20)30312-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.amjms.2020.07.018. Online ahead of print.
Can a Combination of AT1R Antagonist and Vitamin D Treat the Lung Complication of COVID-19?


Mohamed Rafiullah ¹



Affiliations

• PMID: 32736832
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjms.2020.07.018

Abstract

Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by a novel human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 named COVID-19 and declared as a pandemic. This paper reviews the possibility of repurposing angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) antagonists and vitamin D to treat COVID-19. ACE2 protein found on the cell membranes is the target of SARS-CoV-2 for entering into the host cells. Viral spike protein-binding with ACE2 down-regulates it. As ACE2 is known to protect the lung from injuries, SARS-CoV-2-induced ACE2 deficiency may expose patients to lung damage. AT1R antagonists and vitamin D increase the expression of ACE2 independently. Besides, vitamin D suppresses the compensatory increase in renin levels following the inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system by AT1R antagonists. Therefore, a combination of AT1R antagonists and vitamin D may offer protection against COVID-19 induced lung injury.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; SARS; SARS-CoV-2.