Melatonin interferes with COVID-19 at several distinct ROS-related steps
Review discussing how melatonin may improve COVID-19 prognosis by acting to reduce oxygen deficiency and hypoxia, vitamin B12 deficiency, NO deficiency, oxidative stress, and sleep disturbance.
Camp et al., 17 Jul 2021, peer-reviewed, 5 authors.
Abstract: Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry 223 (2021) 111546
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jinorgbio
Review Article
Melatonin interferes with COVID-19 at several distinct ROS-related steps
Olivia G. Camp a, b, 1, David Bai a, 1, Damla C. Gonullu a, Neha Nayak a, Husam M. Abu-Soud a, b, c, *
a
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201,
USA
b
Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
c
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
A R T I C L E I N F O
A B S T R A C T
Keywords:
COVID-19
Melatonin
Mammalian peroxidase
Reactive oxygen species
Inflammation
Hemoprotein
Sleep
Recent studies have shown a correlation between COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and the distinct, exaggerated immune response titled “cytokine storm”.
This immune response leads to excessive production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that
cause clinical signs characteristic of COVID-19 such as decreased oxygen saturation, alteration of hemoglobin
properties, decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, vasoconstriction, elevated cytokines, cardiac and/or renal
injury, enhanced D-dimer, leukocytosis, and an increased neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. Particularly, neutro
phil myeloperoxidase (MPO) is thought to be especially abundant and, as a result, contributes substantially to
oxidative stress and the pathophysiology of COVID-19. Conversely, melatonin, a potent MPO inhibitor, has been
noted for its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, and neuroprotective actions. Melatonin has been
proposed as a safe therapeutic agent for COVID-19 recently, having been given with a US Food and Drug
Administration emergency authorized cocktail, REGEN-COV2, for management of COVID-19 progression. This
review distinctly highlights both how the destructive interactions of HOCl with tetrapyrrole rings may contribute
to oxygen deficiency and hypoxia, vitamin B12 deficiency, NO deficiency, increased oxidative stress, and sleep
disturbance, as well as how melatonin acts to prevent these events, thereby improving COVID-19 prognosis.
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