The Mechanisms of Luteolin in Treating COVID-19 Based on Bioinformatics Analysis and Molecular Docking

Luteolin is a natural flavonoid that has a variety of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, apoptosis inhibition, cell autophagy regulation, and anti-tumor activity. It is one of the main ingredients of an expert-recommended herbal formula for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This suggests that luteolin has strong pharmacological effects on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The aims of this study were to identify the molecular targets of luteolin and to infer the possible mechanisms by which it exerts its pharmacological effects. The GSE159787 data set was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus online database, and differentially expressed genes were analyzed. There were 22 upregulated differentially expressed genes enriched in the COVID-19 signaling pathway, suggesting that the upregulation of these genes may be closely related to the occurrence of COVID-19. Molecular docking results showed that luteolin had strong binding efficiency to 20 of these 22 key genes. Six of these genes (CFB, EIF2AK2, OAS1, MAPK11, OAS3, and STAT1) showed strong binding activity. Luteolin can regulate the COVID-19 signaling pathway by combining with these targets, which may have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19.

Proteomic profiling demonstrates inflammatory and endotheliopathy signatures associated with impaired cardiopulmonary exercise hemodynamic profile in Post Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) syndrome.

Approximately 50% of patients who recover from the acute SARS-CoV-2 experience Post Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) syndrome. The pathophysiological hallmark of PASC is characterized by impaired system oxygen extraction (EO2) on invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test (iCPET). However, the mechanistic insights into impaired EO2 remain unclear. We studied 21 consecutive iCPET in PASC patients with unexplained exertional intolerance. PASC patients were dichotomized into mildly reduced (EO2peak-mild) and severely reduced (EO2peak-severe) EO2 groups according to the median peak EO2 value. Proteomic profiling was performed on mixed venous blood plasma obtained at peak exercise during iCPET. PASC patients as a group exhibited depressed peak exercise aerobic capacity (peak VO2; 85 ± 18 vs. 131 ± 45% predicted; p = 0.0002) with normal systemic oxygen delivery, DO2 (37 ± 9 vs. 42 ± 15 mL/kg/min; p = 0.43) and reduced EO2 (0.4 ± 0.1 vs. 0.8 ± 0.1; p < 0.0001). PASC patients with EO2peak-mild exhibited greater DO2 compared to those with EO2peak-severe [42.9 (34.2-41.2) vs. 32.1 (26.8-38.0) mL/kg/min; p = 0.01]. The proteins with increased expression in the EO2peak-severe group were involved in inflammatory and fibrotic processes. In the EO2peak-mild group, proteins associated with oxidative phosphorylation and glycogen metabolism were elevated. In PASC patients with impaired EO2, there exist a spectrum of PASC phenotype related to differential aberrant protein expression and cardio-pulmonary physiologic response. PASC patients with EO2peak-severe exhibit a maladaptive physiologic and proteomic signature consistent with persistent inflammatory state and endothelial dysfunction, while in the EO2peak-mild group, there is enhanced expression of proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation-mediated ATP synthesis along with an enhanced cardiopulmonary physiological response.

The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution from energy consumption: diverse evidence from China

Based on panel data of 31 provincial capital cities in the country from January 21 to November 20, 2020, this research empirically analyzes the impacts of daily newly confirmed cases and daily new deaths from COVID-19 on PM10, PM2.5, SO2, CO, and NO2 emissions form green energy consumption by using the method of System Generalized Moments (SYS-GMM). We conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic has an inhibitory effect on all types of emissions, in that a greater number of confirmed cases and deaths brings about more stringent anti-epidemic policies, fewer emissions, and better air quality in China. Moreover, we use the methods of sample segmentation, cross-sectional regression, and pollutant emissions of the top three cities in terms of GDP to test their robustness. Overall, our evidence advances the debate over air quality after COVID-19, and that evidence from China provides beneficial experiences that correlate to its provincial data.

Linking genomic and epidemiologic information to advance the study of COVID-19.

The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the end of 2019 turned into a global pandemic. To help analyze the spread and evolution of the virus, we collated and analyzed data related to the viral genome, sequence variations, and locations in temporal and spatial distribution from GISAID. Information from the Wikipedia web page and published research papers were categorized and mined to extract epidemiological data, which was then integrated with the public dataset. Genomic and epidemiological data were matched with public information, and the data quality was verified by manual curation. Finally, an online database centered on virus genomic information and epidemiological data can be freely accessible at https://www.biosino.org/kgcov/ , which is helpful to identify relevant knowledge and devising epidemic prevention and control policies in collaboration with disease control personnel.

Cellular Deubiquitylating Enzyme: A Regulatory Factor of Antiviral Innate Immunity.

Deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) are proteases that crack the ubiquitin code from ubiquitylated substrates to reverse the fate of substrate proteins. Recently, DUBs have been found to mediate various cellular biological functions, including antiviral innate immune response mediated by pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) and NLR Family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes. So far, many DUBs have been identified to exert a distinct function in fine-tuning antiviral innate immunity and are utilized by viruses for immune evasion. Here, the recent advances in the regulation of antiviral responses by DUBs are reviewed. We also discussed the DUBs-mediated interaction between the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and antiviral innate immunity. The understanding of the mechanisms on antiviral innate immunity regulated by DUBs may provide therapeutic opportunities for viral infection.