The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19
The novel COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the world’s population differently: mostly in the presence of conditions such as aging, diabetes and hypertension the virus triggers a lethal cytokine storm and patients die from acute respiratory distress syndrome, whereas in many cases the disease has a mil...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/7/624 |
| _version_ | 1797562332681863168 |
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| author | Francesca Silvagno Annamaria Vernone Gian Piero Pescarmona |
| author_facet | Francesca Silvagno Annamaria Vernone Gian Piero Pescarmona |
| author_sort | Francesca Silvagno |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The novel COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the world’s population differently: mostly in the presence of conditions such as aging, diabetes and hypertension the virus triggers a lethal cytokine storm and patients die from acute respiratory distress syndrome, whereas in many cases the disease has a mild or even asymptomatic progression. A common denominator in all conditions associated with COVID-19 appears to be the impaired redox homeostasis responsible for reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation; therefore, levels of glutathione (GSH), the key anti-oxidant guardian in all tissues, could be critical in extinguishing the exacerbated inflammation that triggers organ failure in COVID-19. The present review provides a biochemical investigation of the mechanisms leading to deadly inflammation in severe COVID-19, counterbalanced by GSH. The pathways competing for GSH are described to illustrate the events concurring to cause a depletion of endogenous GSH stocks. Drawing on evidence from literature that demonstrates the reduced levels of GSH in the main conditions clinically associated with severe disease, we highlight the relevance of restoring GSH levels in the attempt to protect the most vulnerable subjects from severe symptoms of COVID-19. Finally, we discuss the current data about the feasibility of increasing GSH levels, which could be used to prevent and subdue the disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:26:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7a1ba5d5cb284bc9bc0a6544bd3ef8d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:26:47Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj.art-7a1ba5d5cb284bc9bc0a6544bd3ef8d62023-11-20T06:55:29ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212020-07-019762410.3390/antiox9070624The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19Francesca Silvagno0Annamaria Vernone1Gian Piero Pescarmona2Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Via Santena 5 bis, 10126 Torino, ItalyDepartment of Oncology, University of Torino, Via Santena 5 bis, 10126 Torino, ItalyDepartment of Oncology, University of Torino, Via Santena 5 bis, 10126 Torino, ItalyThe novel COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the world’s population differently: mostly in the presence of conditions such as aging, diabetes and hypertension the virus triggers a lethal cytokine storm and patients die from acute respiratory distress syndrome, whereas in many cases the disease has a mild or even asymptomatic progression. A common denominator in all conditions associated with COVID-19 appears to be the impaired redox homeostasis responsible for reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation; therefore, levels of glutathione (GSH), the key anti-oxidant guardian in all tissues, could be critical in extinguishing the exacerbated inflammation that triggers organ failure in COVID-19. The present review provides a biochemical investigation of the mechanisms leading to deadly inflammation in severe COVID-19, counterbalanced by GSH. The pathways competing for GSH are described to illustrate the events concurring to cause a depletion of endogenous GSH stocks. Drawing on evidence from literature that demonstrates the reduced levels of GSH in the main conditions clinically associated with severe disease, we highlight the relevance of restoring GSH levels in the attempt to protect the most vulnerable subjects from severe symptoms of COVID-19. Finally, we discuss the current data about the feasibility of increasing GSH levels, which could be used to prevent and subdue the disease.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/7/624SARS-CoV-2angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)glutathioneinflammationROS |
| spellingShingle | Francesca Silvagno Annamaria Vernone Gian Piero Pescarmona The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19 Antioxidants SARS-CoV-2 angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) glutathione inflammation ROS |
| title | The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19 |
| title_full | The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19 |
| title_short | The Role of Glutathione in Protecting against the Severe Inflammatory Response Triggered by COVID-19 |
| title_sort | role of glutathione in protecting against the severe inflammatory response triggered by covid 19 |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) glutathione inflammation ROS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/9/7/624 |
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