Nitric oxide is a compound that is naturally produced in the human body. It has a wide range of functions including antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory roles in the pulmonary vascular system. In SARS-CoV-1 (2003), nitric oxide was observed to inhibit viral replication via cytotoxic reactions.
Intermediate compounds, such as peroxynitrite, resulted as the primary components of these cytotoxic reactions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's emergency expanded access program has included nitric oxide as a potential COVID-19 treatment. A review from George Washington University, published in the journal Nitric Oxide, further investigates nitric oxide as a viable treatment for COVID-19.
"Nitric oxide plays key roles in maintaining normal vascular function and regulating inflammatory cascades that contribute to acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)," said Adam Friedman, MD, co-senior author of the review and professor in the department of dermatology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He continued, "Interventions that are protective against ALI and ARDS can play a critical role for patients and health systems during the pandemic."
The review authors analyze the potential for inhaled nitric oxide to improve clinical outcomes and alleviating the strain on the health care sector. Further research is needed to examine dosing and protocol variations, but the team is very optimistic about the impact of nitric oxide as a powerful treatment option for COVID-19.
Image credit: Hush Naidoo