Elsevier

Medical Hypotheses

Volume 144, November 2020, 110133
Medical Hypotheses

N-acetycysteine: A potential therapeutic agent in COVID-19 infection

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110133Get rights and content

Abstract

COVID-19 is an overwhelming pandemic which has shattered the whole world. Lung injury being the main clinical manifestation, it is likely to cause COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). The possible cause behind this might be redox imbalance due to viral infection. Elevation in Glutathione (GSH) levels by administration of its promolecule might be effective. N-acetylcysteine is one such drug with potency to scavenge Reactive Oxygen Species, least side effects, and an effective precursor of glutathione. Consequently we hypothesize that N-acetylcysteine along with the conventional treatment may be treated as a potential therapeutic solution in cases of COVID-19 patients.

Keywords

COVID-19
Glutathione
N-acetylcysteine
Oxidative stress

Abbreviations

COVID-19
Corona virus disease 2019
GSH
Glutathione
NAC
N-acetylcysteine
ARDS
acute respiratory distress syndrome
COPD
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
ALI
acute lung injury

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