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Juby AG, Cunnane SC, Mager DR. Refueling the post COVID-19 brain: potential role of ketogenic medium chain triglyceride supplementation: an hypothesis. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1126534. [PMID: 37415915 PMCID: PMC10320593 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1126534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 infection causes cognitive changes in the acute phase, but also after apparent recovery. Over fifty post (long)-COVID symptoms are described, including cognitive dysfunction ("brain fog") precluding return to pre-COVID level of function, with rates twice as high in females. Additionally, the predominant demographic affected by these symptoms is younger and still in the workforce. Lack of ability to work, even for six months, has significant socio-economic consequences. This cognitive dysfunction is associated with impaired cerebral glucose metabolism, assessed using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), showing brain regions that are abnormal compared to age and sex matched controls. In other cognitive conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), typical patterns of cerebral glucose hypometabolism, frontal hypometabolism and cerebellar hypermetabolism are common. Similar FDG-PET changes have also been observed in post-COVID-19, raising the possibility of a similar etiology. Ketone bodies (B-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone) are produced endogenously with very low carbohydrate intake or fasting. They improve brain energy metabolism in the face of cerebral glucose hypometabolism in other conditions [mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD]. Long-term low carbohydrate intake or prolonged fasting is not usually feasible. Medium chain triglyceride (MCT) is an exogenous route to nutritional ketosis. Research has supported their efficacy in managing intractable seizures, and cognitive impairment in MCI and AD. We hypothesize that cerebral glucose hypometabolism associated with post COVID-19 infection can be mitigated with MCT supplementation, with the prediction that cognitive function would also improve. Although there is some suggestion that post COVID-19 cognitive symptoms may diminish over time, in many individuals this may take more than six months. If MCT supplementation is able to speed the cognitive recovery, this will impact importantly on quality of life. MCT is readily available and, compared to pharmaceutical interventions, is cost-effective. Research shows general tolerability with dose titration. MCT is a component of enteral and parenteral nutrition supplements, including in pediatrics, so has a long record of safety in vulnerable populations. It is not associated with weight gain or adverse changes in lipid profiles. This hypothesis serves to encourage the development of clinical trials evaluating the impact of MCT supplementation on the duration and severity of post COVID-19 cognitive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela G. Juby
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Stephen C. Cunnane
- Research Center on Aging, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Diana R. Mager
- Agriculture Food and Nutrition Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Aghajani A, Khakpourian Z, Bakhthiarzadeh S, Adibipour F, Sadr M, Coleman-Fuller N, Jamaati H, Motaghinejad M. Trimetazidine May Potentially Confer Neuroprotective Effects against COVID-19-Induced Neurological Sequelae via Inhibition of Death-Associated Protein Kinase 1 (DAPK1) Signaling Pathways: An Evidenced-Based Hypothesis. TANAFFOS 2023; 22:182-186. [PMID: 38628884 PMCID: PMC11016919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Aghajani
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Khakpourian
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soodeh Bakhthiarzadeh
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Adibipour
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Makan Sadr
- Virology Research Center, NRITLD, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Natalie Coleman-Fuller
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108.
| | - Hamidreza Jamaati
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Motaghinejad
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Cerebral Metabolic Rate of Glucose and Cognitive Tests in Long COVID Patients. Brain Sci 2022; 13:brainsci13010023. [PMID: 36672005 PMCID: PMC9856023 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Common long-term sequelae after COVID-19 include fatigue and cognitive impairment. Although symptoms interfere with daily living, the underlying pathology is largely unknown. Previous studies report relative hypometabolism in frontal, limbic and cerebellar regions suggesting focal brain involvement. We aimed to determine whether absolute hypometabolism was present and correlated to same day standardized neurocognitive testing. METHODS Fourteen patients included from a long COVID clinic had cognitive testing and quantitative dynamic [18F]FDG PET of the brain on the same day to correlate cognitive function to metabolic glucose rate. RESULTS We found no hypometabolism in frontal, limbic and cerebellar regions in cognitively impaired relative to cognitive intact patients. In contrast, the cognitive impaired patients showed higher cerebellar metabolism (p = 0.03), which correlated with more severe deficits in working memory and executive function (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Hypermetabolism in the cerebellum may reflect inefficient brain processing and play a role in cognitive impairments after COVID-19.
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Sodagar A, Javed R, Tahir H, Razak SIA, Shakir M, Naeem M, Yusof AHA, Sagadevan S, Hazafa A, Uddin J, Khan A, Al-Harrasi A. Pathological Features and Neuroinflammatory Mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 in the Brain and Potential Therapeutic Approaches. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12070971. [PMID: 35883527 PMCID: PMC9313047 DOI: 10.3390/biom12070971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of deaths has been increased due to COVID-19 infections and uncertain neurological complications associated with the central nervous system. Post-infections and neurological manifestations in neuronal tissues caused by COVID-19 are still unknown and there is a need to explore how brainstorming promoted congenital impairment, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. SARS-CoV-2 neuro-invasion studies in vivo are still rare, despite the fact that other beta-coronaviruses have shown similar properties. Neural (olfactory or vagal) and hematogenous (crossing the blood–brain barrier) pathways have been hypothesized in light of new evidence showing the existence of SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry receptors into the specific components of human nerve and vascular tissue. Spike proteins are the primary key and structural component of the COVID-19 that promotes the infection into brain cells. Neurological manifestations and serious neurodegeneration occur through the binding of spike proteins to ACE2 receptor. The emerging evidence reported that, due to the high rate in the immediate wake of viral infection, the olfactory bulb, thalamus, and brain stem are intensely infected through a trans-synaptic transfer of the virus. It also instructs the release of chemokines, cytokines, and inflammatory signals immensely to the blood–brain barrier and infects the astrocytes, which causes neuroinflammation and neuron death; and this induction of excessive inflammation and immune response developed in more neurodegeneration complications. The present review revealed the pathophysiological effects, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of possible entry routes into the brain, pathogenicity of autoantibodies and emerging immunotherapies against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisha Sodagar
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan;
| | - Rasab Javed
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan;
| | - Hira Tahir
- Department of Botany, Government College Women University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Saiful Izwan Abd Razak
- Bioinspired Device and Tissue Engineering Research Group, School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Johor, Malaysia;
- Sports Innovation & Technology Centre, Institute of Human Centred Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Shakir
- School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China;
| | - Muhammad Naeem
- College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China;
| | - Abdul Halim Abdul Yusof
- School of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Johor, Malaysia;
| | - Suresh Sagadevan
- Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;
| | - Abu Hazafa
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
- Correspondence: or (A.H.); (A.K.); (A.A.-H.)
| | - Jalal Uddin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Ajmal Khan
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa 616, Oman
- Correspondence: or (A.H.); (A.K.); (A.A.-H.)
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, University of Nizwa, Birkat Al Mauz, Nizwa 616, Oman
- Correspondence: or (A.H.); (A.K.); (A.A.-H.)
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Gomazkov OA. COVID-19: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Damage. BIOLOGY BULLETIN REVIEWS 2022. [PMCID: PMC8985060 DOI: 10.1134/s2079086422020037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The most common clinical manifestation of COVID-19 is bilateral pneumonia, a diffuse, alveolar injury with severe microangiopathy. Systemic infection is accompanied by an increase in circulating chemokines and interleukins in the blood, which penetrate the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and enter the brain. Clinical materials indicate lesions of the brain and peripheral nervous system, as well as neurodegenerative and mental disorders. Due to violations of the cerebral endothelium system and changes in the balance of ACE2-coupled cytochemical processes, coagulopathy develops, leading to microthrombosis and vascular occlusion. The concept of SARS-CoV-2 “neurotropism” is discussed as a rationale for the penetration by the virus into the brain. Infection can occur as axonal transport through the bulbar zone and the olfactory area of the cerebral cortex. Even more common is the “hematogenous pathway” of viral transfection, which includes damage to the vascular endothelium and a violation of the protective role of the BBB. Another concept that explains the mechanism of brain damage relates to the phenomenon of neuroinflammation. Astrocytes and microglia are considered potential targets of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The dissonance of the biochemical processes of the axis ACE2/ACE and changes in the functions of angiotensin peptides leads to the activation of astroglia with the development of neurodestructive processes in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. A. Gomazkov
- Orekhovich Scientific Research Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
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Albanese M, Marrone G, Paolino A, Di Lauro M, Di Daniele F, Chiaramonte C, D'Agostini C, Romani A, Cavaliere A, Guerriero C, Magrini A, Mercuri NB, Di Daniele N, Noce A. Effects of Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide (um-PEA) in COVID-19 Early Stages: A Case–Control Study. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020253. [PMID: 35215365 PMCID: PMC8878249 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide (um-PEA), a compound with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, appears to be a potential adjuvant treatment for early stages of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In our study, we enrolled 90 patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 that were randomized into two groups, homogeneous for age, gender and BMI. The first group received oral supplementation based on um-PEA at a dose of 1800 mg/day for a total of 28 days; the second group was the control group (R.S. 73.20). At baseline (T0) and after 28 days of um-PEA treatment (T1), we monitored: routine laboratory parameters, inflammatory and oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers, lymphocytes subpopulation and COVID-19 serological response. At T1, the um-PEA-treated group presented a significant reduction in inflammation compared to the control group (CRP p = 0.007; IL-6 p = 0.0001; neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio p = 0.044). At T1, the controls showed a significant increase in OS compared to the treated group (FORT p = 0.05). At T1, the um-PEA group exhibited a significant decrease in D-dimer levels (p = 0.0001) and higher levels of IgG against SARS-CoV-2 (p = 0.0001) compared to the controls. Our data demonstrated, in a randomized clinical trial, the beneficial effects of um-PEA in both asymptomatic and mild-symptomatic patients related to reductions in inflammatory state, OS and coagulative cascade alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Albanese
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Marrone
- UOC of Internal Medicine-Center of Hypertension and Nephrology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Agostino Paolino
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela Di Lauro
- UOC of Internal Medicine-Center of Hypertension and Nephrology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Daniele
- PhD School of Applied Medical, Surgical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- UOSD of Dermatology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Chiaramonte
- Department of Statistics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Cartesio D'Agostini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Policlinico Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Romani
- PHYTOLAB (Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Food Supplement, Technology and Analysis), DiSIA, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | | | - Cristina Guerriero
- UOC of Internal Medicine-Center of Hypertension and Nephrology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Magrini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Neurology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Di Daniele
- UOC of Internal Medicine-Center of Hypertension and Nephrology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Noce
- UOC of Internal Medicine-Center of Hypertension and Nephrology Unit, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
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COVID-19 infection and neurodegeneration: Computational evidence for interactions between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and monoamine oxidase enzymes. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:1254-1263. [PMID: 35228857 PMCID: PMC8868002 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
WT and the South African SARS‐CoV‐2 variant show comparable ACE2 and MAO affinities. Identified MAO/spike protein complexes modify MAO affinity for its neurotransmitters. Such changes impact metabolic clearance of brain amines and misbalance their level. This links MAO interference with neurological illnesses following COVID‐19 infection. More contagious SA variant gives larger MAO disturbances, which should not be ignored.
Although COVID-19 has been primarily associated with pneumonia, recent data show that its causative agent, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, can infect many vital organs beyond the lungs, including the heart, kidneys and the brain. The literature agrees that COVID-19 is likely to have long-term mental health effects on infected individuals, which signifies a need to understand the role of the virus in the pathophysiology of brain disorders that is currently unknown and widely debated. Our docking and molecular dynamics simulations show that the affinity of the spike protein from the wild type (WT) and the South African B.1.351 (SA) variant towards MAO enzymes is comparable to that for its ACE2 receptor. This allows for the WT/SA⋅⋅⋅MAO complex formation, which changes MAO affinities for their neurotransmitter substrates, thereby impacting their metabolic conversion and misbalancing their levels. Knowing that this fine regulation is strongly linked with the etiology of various brain pathologies, these results are the first to highlight the possibility that the interference with the brain MAO catalytic activity is responsible for the increased neurodegenerative illnesses following a COVID-19 infection, thus placing a neurobiological link between these two conditions in the spotlight. Since the obtained insight suggests that a more contagious SA variant causes even larger disturbances, and with new and more problematic strains likely emerging in the near future, we firmly advise that the presented prospect of the SARS-CoV-2 induced neurological complications should not be ignored, but rather requires further clinical investigations to achieve an early diagnosis and timely therapeutic interventions.
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