Page 60 - Covid 2021 June 2021

RESEARCH SUPPORTS
Adhatoda Vasica attenuates inflammatory and hypoxic responses in preclinical mouse models: Potential for repurposing in COVID-19- like conditions
COVID-19 pneumonia has been associated with severe acute hypoxia, sepsis-like states, thrombosis and chronic sequelae including persisting hypoxia and fibrosis. The molecular hypoxia response pathway has been associated with such pathologies and a recent observations on anti-hypoxic and anti-inflammatory effects of whole aqueous extract of Adhatoda Vasica (AV) prompted the researchers to explore its effects on relevant preclinical mouse models.
In this study, they tested the effect of whole aqueous extract of AV in murine models of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, Cecum Ligation and Puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis, and siRNA-induced hypoxia-thrombosis phenotype. The effect on lung of AV-treated naïve mice was also studied at transcriptome level and also determined if the extract may have any direct effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication.
Oral administration AV extract attenuates increased airway inflammation, levels of transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1), IL-6, HIF-1a and improves the overall survival rates of mice in the models of pulmonary fibrosis and sepsis and rescues the siRNA-induced inflammation and associated blood coagulation phenotypes in mice and also observed downregulation of hypoxia, inflammation, TGF-b1, and angiogenesis genes and upregulation of adaptive immunity-related genes in the lung transcriptome. AV treatment also reduced the viral load in Vero cells infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Contact Info: bhavana.p@igib.res.in; a.agrawal@igib.in
Website link:
https://www.ccmb.res.in/Research/Research-Publications https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-105233/v2
Cancer vs. SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation: Study suggests
overlapping functions and pharmacological targeting
Inflammation is an intrinsic defence mechanism triggered by the immune system against infection or injury. Chronic inflammation allows the host to recover or adapt through cellular and humoral responses, whereas acute inflammation leads to cytokine storms resulting in tissue damage. In a review, the researchers presented the overlapping outcomes of cancer inflammation with virus-induced inflammation. The study emphasises how anti-inflammatory drugs that work against cancer inflammation may work against the inflammation caused by the viral infection. It is established that the cytokine storm induced in response to SARS-CoV-2
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