COVID-related alteration in the balance between pro-and anti/inflammatory bioactive lipids and cytokines

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is an inflammatory condition involving mainly lungs, vascular endothelium, liver, heart, and brain with significant disturbances in the innate and adaptive immune responses. SARS-CoV-2 virus enters the cells by binding to ACE2 receptor that is present in many tissues. Despite the availability of effective vaccine(s) against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants current pandemic continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality The emergence of several mutant variants of SARS-CoV-2 is a major concern especially about the efficacy of current vaccines against these variants and other variants that are likely to emerge in the future. In this context, the observation that essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as linoleic acid (LA) and their metabolites can inactivate SARS-CoV-2, regulate inflammatory events and immune responses, and suppress inappropriate excess production of proinflammatory interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), and bradykinin and thus, restore homeostasis is noteworthy. Of all the EFAs, LA and arachidonic acid (AA) are the most effective to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 and other similar viruses and prevent unwarranted inflammation, enhance wound healing by augmenting the production of anti-inflammatory bioactive lipids and cytokines. Since an imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine(s) and other molecules involved in inflammation and wound healing have a significant role in other serious diseases such as sepsis, ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), ischemia-reperfusion injury and severe pneumonia(s), it remains to be seen whether administration of LA and AA and other fatty acids can prevent and suppress these life-threatening diseases in addition to COVID-19.