Vitamin D inhalation in covid; will it work?

ACE2 receptor is the entry point.Vitamin D facilitates binding of covid virus to Angiotensin 11 receptor type 1 & ACE2 receptor being released from the attack of the virus. So cascade of virus pathogenesis is blocked down by vitamin D.

It is found in previous researches the effectiveness of vitamin D inhalation in childhood lung diseases. There are researches for vitamin D inhalation for lung maturation in neonates. It enhances surfactant secretion, maturation & differentiation of type 2 pneumocytes. Also it is said that systemic side effects are much less with inhalational vitamin D. So suggestion of inhalational vitamin D with combined oxygen comes. They need further researches & animal studies for the effect of it in covid 19.

ACE2 affects renin angiotensin pathway. When ACE2 is reduced angiotensin 2 will increase & beneficial ang 1-7 will reduced in lungs. Angiotensin 1-7 play a major role in covid 19. It has the actions of vasodilation, vascular protection, anti-inflammation, anti-proliferation & anti- fibrosis. Also produces nitrous oxide (NO)which is an antioxidant. L- arginine is a precursor of NO. But it effects on covid is under evaluation.

I would like to mention another drug, carnitine. From the researches it down regulates the ACE2 receptor. So amount of virus attaching receptor is much less. Scientists in an argument whether down regulation or up regulation of ACE2 receptor is beneficial for covid. It is still debating. But combination of oral vitamin D & carnitine is better , that I would suggests. Vitamin D protects ACE2 receptor from the virus, other hand carnitine down regulates the ACE2 receptor.

Corona virus contains a lipid layer. So washing hands with soaps is very important in preventive aspect.So think of all simple safety measures also. As a whole we should fight against covid.

Author
Dinusha Egodage
MBBS
Faculty Of Medicine
University of Ruhuna

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5191914/

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04623619

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7539308/

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04637906