11 ms·

Nitric oxide inhibits the replication cycle of SARS coronavirus (2004)

92 points by ajaviaad 7y ago

papermachete 7y ago
NOS baby! Granny shifting, not double-clutching like you should.
ncmncm 7y ago
Viagra as covfefe-19 antagonist?
- lbeltrame 7y ago
  I understand this is just a snarky remark, but IIRC sildenafil is actually being tested.
  - at_a_remove 7y ago
    This was literally the first thing that came to my mind, and I'm being serious.
  - GekkePrutser 7y ago
    That will have.... unintended consequences. "Are you afraid of COVID-19 or are you just happy to see me?" :') But seriously, it can't be good to walk around with a boner all day every day. Could be intimidating for women too. And embarrassing for men. Maybe if it's effective to people already infected and in hospital anyway. But I couldn't see this socially feasible as a preventative drug.
    - _ph_ 7y ago
      From what I understand, this is important for people who show (severe) symptoms of Covid-19, not as a preventive drug. So no reason to take it until clear symptoms show up.
    - serf 7y ago
      >But seriously, it can't be good to walk around with a boner all day every day. Could be intimidating for women too. And embarrassing for men. Maybe if it's effective to people already infected and in hospital anyway. But I couldn't see this socially feasible as a preventative drug. That's not how viagra works. It makes an erection possible, it doesn't cause one. it inhibits an enzyme responsible for constricting bloodflow, as far as I know. the whole viagra causes boners thing is really just a convenient gimmick for comedians. if you want something that causes a boner, look at percutaneous perineal electrostimulation[0]. when THAT becomes the treatment for covid19 we're in trouble. [0]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2435023/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2435023/
  - bitL 7y ago
    Climbers in Himalayas use sildenafil all the time to cope with altitude sickness/High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. That could also align with the theory from some NYC doctor that COVID-19 requires the same approach as altitude sickness and not ventilators (too much lung damage). Also, Chinese doctors reported that people in "prone positioning" recovered faster. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200407/doctors-puzzle-over-covid19-lung-problems https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200407/doctors-puzzle-over...
lazylizard 7y ago
I'm just a little disappointed its not nitrous oxide...
- alkonaut 7y ago
  I too read nitrous and pictured large event halls converted to temporary corona wards filled with thousands of people wearing masks and giggling.
  - DoofusOfDeath 7y ago
    Even better, doctors would be prescribing cans of whipped cream.
fxtentacle 7y ago
That is from 2004.
- ajaviaad 7y ago
  It proved effective during SARS Cov-1 outbreak. Critical patients were treated using Nitric Oxide which not only improved lungs health but also improved immunity. Now clinical trials are being conducted to treat SARS Cov-2. Hopefully it will be effective in treating novel coronavirus patients. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200409/nitric-oxide-investigated-as-covid19-treatment https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200409/nitric-oxide-invest...
  - podgaj 7y ago
    Remember it is also important to control O2-(superoxides) since NO + O2- = ONO−2 (perixoynitrite) And that can lead to higher cytokine levels https://www.jbc.org/content/277/3/2330 https://www.jbc.org/content/277/3/2330 which are helpful to a certain extent...
bitL 7y ago
Does it mean we will need to eat raw crushed garlic daily alongside wearing masks now?
- 7952 7y ago
  I have already increased my garlic intake quite a lot. Social distancing makes stinky breath less of a concern.
  - mythrwy 7y ago
    And stinky breath makes social distancing easier.
- asveikau 7y ago
  Added benefit to keep vampires away.
klausnrooster 7y ago
So no harm including beets, beet juice, or beet root powder in your routine. Might even help. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/hypertensionaha.107.103523 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/hypertensionaha...
analog31 7y ago
I wonder if we're in danger of p hacking here. Suppose in the scramble to contain the outbreak, everything is tested for efficacy against the disease. There will surely be some positive studies just due to luck.
- asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
  Absolutely correct. This is a small part of why observational evidence is not very strong evidence. People should take each observation with a grain of salt.
- Cyclone_ 7y ago
  Perhaps that's true with some observations. I'm no expert on the subject here, but this does seem like a scientific study that wouldn't really involve luck.
  - vikramkr 7y ago
    All scientific studies, including this one, involve uncertainty, which also Involves luck. Wed need to see a lot more data (and human data as well) before prescribing NO or viagra for coronavirus treatment. You also have the ability to select runs with faster or lower replication rates, confounding variables like the temperature that could have changed with each run or across the plate, etc.
- sp332 7y ago
  This is from 2004. Here's a quick search for papers which cite this one: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=3174486874880036805&as_sdt=5,30&sciodt=0,30&hl=en https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=3174486874880036805... Edit: "Role of epithelial nitric oxide in airway viral infection" https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584906000918 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089158490... says NO inhibits both virus replication and latency of viruses, including coxsackievirus, influenza A and B, rhinovirus, cytomegalovirus, vaccinia virus, ectromelia virus, human herpesvirus-1, and HPIV3 and cites 10 papers for these claims.
- Taek 7y ago
elric 7y ago
Random fact of the day: you produce nitric oxide in your paranasal sinuses, and concentrations increase while humming.
- elbear 7y ago
  That's one reason to breathe through your nose if you're not doing it.
- rossdavidh 7y ago
  "WHO and CDC advise everyone to start humming all day long." I like it.
podgaj 7y ago
So nutritionally we should be looking at things needed to stimulate the NOS gene (NOS1, NOS2, NOS3): NOS2 cofactors are; Heme, FAD, FMN, and BH4 Zinc - It helps make BH4 through the GCH1 and PTS enzymes from GTP. Riboflavin - it is the precursor for FMN and FAD. Notably zinc is needed to turn riboflavin into FMD and FAD. B6 (P5P) - Needed for Heme synthesis. Beets - The nitrates are turned into NO in the gut. Black Tea - Shown to increase NO. And shown to inhibit SARS: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142193/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142193/ Vitamin C - Helps protect BH4 But it is for certain another reason to examine zinc in health outcomes from SARS infection. The metal binding site of NOS is zinc also so...
- bitL 7y ago
  How about l-Citrulline (watermelon) and alliin/allicin (garlic)?
  - podgaj 7y ago
    Neither will help create NO without the cofactors that help the enzymes that make NO. It is like trying to stuff a clogged pipe with more water.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- goda90 7y ago
  A varied diet to get all the minerals and vitamins is certainly good in general, but is that really what's being looked at here? Another comment posted a link about inhaled nitric oxide being used with SARS-1. People probably shouldn't be inhaling beets.
  - podgaj 7y ago
    We know now that genetics and lifestyle can alter someones needs for nutrients. So what is good "in general" might not be good for me. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/riboflavin-transporter-deficiency-neuronopathy#genes https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/riboflavin-transporter-def... It is not about inhaling beets, it is trying to figure out a possible environmental cause for the wide discrepancy of outcomes of SARS infection. We make NO in our body, some need more help than others and it might be genetic. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378111917310752 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037811191... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485952/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485952/
podgaj 7y ago
Coincidence? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939908/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939908/ Malaria severity and human nitric oxide synthase type 2 (NOS2) promoter haplotypes
Cyclone_ 7y ago
I've been taking beet root powder for tough workouts for a while, no harm in taking it daily now.
- manaskarekar 7y ago
  What's a good brand? Really hard to find a trustworthy brand on amazon. Thanks!
  - ricardobeat 7y ago
    Isn't it easier to just buy beetroots?
    - manaskarekar 7y ago
      No, and not especially in the current situation. It’s far too convenient to have a distilled source of nutrients/flavor as opposed to shopping, cleaning, preparing it and then storing it such that it is available without a lot of thought/planning. Of course, this is not a general statement, it only applies to some stuff. I enjoy “regular” food too much for that!
swiley 7y ago
Exposure to NOx can also permanently reduce lung function. This is one of those “in vitrio” things that’s kind of interesting but probably ultimately unhelpful (at least for the current situation.)
- vixen99 7y ago
  NOx? NO is a naturally occurring cardiovascular signalling molecule of enormous importance in the body so its actions may well be of significance in disease events.
- gamblor956 7y ago
  Nitric oxide in this context is the result of dietary processes of foods rich in certain types of nitrates. They are not referring to the direct inhalation of nitric oxide gas.
Alex3917 7y ago
There have been a bunch of posts about this, including this paper, on https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack. E.g. here is an interesting post with a bunch of natural breathing techniques for boosting nitric oxide production: https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack/comments/fp3i6l/naturally_produced_nitric_oxide_may_boost/ https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack/comments/fp3i6l/natura... There are a bunch of YouTube videos demonstrating how to do it if you search for them. The FDA also recently granted compassionate use authorization to a device that produces inhaled nitric oxide: https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/fda-expands-access-to-bellerophon-s-nitric-oxide-gas-for-covid-19-lung-symptoms https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/fda-expands-access-to-... This is a great example of why people don't trust mainstream medicine. You have the WHO very publicly "debunking" the idea that garlic could prevent Covid-19, and then the FDA approves use of some multi-million dollar device with the same mechanism of action and the company's stock increases 5x in a day.
- Symbiote 7y ago
  Remember that not trusting mainstream medicine is no reason at all to trust non-mainstream medicine. Non-mainstream medicine advises us to eat garlic with alcohol, wash with saline solution, take antibiotics, and burn down a mobile phone mast.
  - DoofusOfDeath 7y ago
    I wonder if it's a mistake to treat all "non-mainstream medicine" as a single group here. I'm not a physician, but I find some elements of non-mainstream medicine (e.g. certain teas can ease certain symptoms) more plausible than others (e.g. burning down a mobile phone mast helps with prevent covid19 spread).
    - Symbiote 7y ago
      Absolutely, but it can be difficult for non-specialists to tell them apart. The anti-5G nonsense is spread with a similar anti-government spin to the original post by Alex3917. The herbal tea market includes everything from making your own ginger tea, to a box costing $20 and promoting some idea of ancient Indian spiritualism and vitality.
et2o 7y ago
There is a huge jump to make from cells in a dish to people.
derefr 7y ago
Arginine vasopressin supplements flying off the shelves yet?
pinkfoot 7y ago
So… smog.
- KaiserPro 7y ago
  I think thats N2O
  - pinkfoot 7y ago
    NOx - NO and NO2 http://www.icopal-noxite.co.uk/nox-problem/nox-pollution.aspx http://www.icopal-noxite.co.uk/nox-problem/nox-pollution.asp... N2O is nitrous oxide. Laughing gas.
    - KaiserPro 7y ago
      thanks, I always get those mixed up. Its most frustrating
unstatusthequo 7y ago
Also, nitric oxdide is necessary for erections, and is what all the "boner drugs" increase when used. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/erectile-dysfunction/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355782 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/erectile-dysf... Sildenafil (Viagra) Tadalafil (Adcirca, Cialis) Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn) Avanafil (Stendra) Just wait for the spammers to get word of this. The emails should be entertaining: "Huge boner and kill COVID! BUY HERE!!!1!!"
- S_A_P 7y ago
  Came here for the boner pill comments and was not disappointed. I believe watermelon also helps with nitric oxide.
- jl2718 7y ago
  Okay I’m safe then.
ProgrammerMan 7y ago
... which is heavily found in leafy green vegetables. Eat healthy folks.
dillonmckay 7y ago
So, does use of nicotine cause nitric oxide to be released in the body? Was there some anecdotal data related to smoking and infection rate? I know very little about biology.
- podgaj 7y ago
  Smoking will reduce BH4 and that will lower NOS2 activity leading to lower NO. Nicotine on its own will inhibit GCH1 and lower levels of BH4 directly. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6201367/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6201367/ So no.
KaiserPro 7y ago
"In Vetro" https://xkcd.com/1217/ https://xkcd.com/1217/
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
Munky-Necan 7y ago
This isn't exactly surprising since NO is one of the main chemicals lymphocytes and granulocytes use to kill pathogenic cells.
pkaye 7y ago
I've read that ACE and ARB inhibitors promote the generation of nitric oxide.
- youareostriches 7y ago
  the hypothesis about ACE inhibitors and ARBs promoting covid-19 severity has never been proven in any human study and in fact ARBs have been shown to reduce mortality in one of the few covid studies which have been done: Anti-hypertensive Angiotensin II receptor blockers associated to mitigation of disease severity in elderly COVID-19 patients https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.20.20039586v1 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.20.20039586v...
  - pkaye 7y ago
    I'm not saying that ACE/ARBs promote covid19 severity but rather they promote nitric oxide production.
    - youareostriches 7y ago
      Yes, they do that. It would be consistent with the results seen: Treatment with ACE-inhibitors is associated with less severe disease with SARS-Covid-19 infection in a multi-site UK acute Hospital Trust https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.07.20056788v1 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.07.20056788v...
djyaz1200 7y ago
If true this N.O. theory could explain some of the dramatic differences in Covid 19 outcomes based on age. "...production of NO declines steadily with increasing age..." (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3390088/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3390088/) It could also explain why heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are comorbid for Covid 19 as they are all associated with lower N.O.
- podgaj 7y ago
  I am not stating fact here, just hypothesis. There are both diets and genetics that can tie all these comorbidities together. Just look at zinc and heart disease. I am just posting one study but the evidence is plentiful. https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/3/523.short https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/3/523.short So if one has heart disease they may also be low in zinc. So zinc might be the common denominator to both CVD and COVID19. It is not that heart disease is a risk factor for COVID19, but that zinc deficiency is a risk factor for both. And they find some odd effects in NO synthesis from zinc deficiency. It lowers NOS activity but has other bad effects as well: https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2000/07000/Nitric_oxide_and_manifestations_of_lesions_of_skin.1.aspx https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2000/... On the other hand, total nitric oxide synthase activity in the intestine of zinc-deficient animals is significantly lower than that in controls, indicating that zinc deficiency may induce a potential vulnerability to nitric oxide rather than an absolute increase of nitric oxide synthase activities.

92 points by ajaviaad 7y ago

papermachete 7y ago

NOS baby! Granny shifting, not double-clutching like you should.

ncmncm 7y ago

Viagra as covfefe-19 antagonist?

lbeltrame 7y ago
I understand this is just a snarky remark, but IIRC sildenafil is actually being tested.
- at_a_remove 7y ago
  This was literally the first thing that came to my mind, and I'm being serious.
- GekkePrutser 7y ago
  That will have.... unintended consequences. "Are you afraid of COVID-19 or are you just happy to see me?" :') But seriously, it can't be good to walk around with a boner all day every day. Could be intimidating for women too. And embarrassing for men. Maybe if it's effective to people already infected and in hospital anyway. But I couldn't see this socially feasible as a preventative drug.
  - _ph_ 7y ago
    From what I understand, this is important for people who show (severe) symptoms of Covid-19, not as a preventive drug. So no reason to take it until clear symptoms show up.
  - serf 7y ago
    >But seriously, it can't be good to walk around with a boner all day every day. Could be intimidating for women too. And embarrassing for men. Maybe if it's effective to people already infected and in hospital anyway. But I couldn't see this socially feasible as a preventative drug. That's not how viagra works. It makes an erection possible, it doesn't cause one. it inhibits an enzyme responsible for constricting bloodflow, as far as I know. the whole viagra causes boners thing is really just a convenient gimmick for comedians. if you want something that causes a boner, look at percutaneous perineal electrostimulation[0]. when THAT becomes the treatment for covid19 we're in trouble. [0]: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2435023/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2435023/
- bitL 7y ago
  Climbers in Himalayas use sildenafil all the time to cope with altitude sickness/High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. That could also align with the theory from some NYC doctor that COVID-19 requires the same approach as altitude sickness and not ventilators (too much lung damage). Also, Chinese doctors reported that people in "prone positioning" recovered faster. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200407/doctors-puzzle-over-covid19-lung-problems https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200407/doctors-puzzle-over...

lazylizard 7y ago

I'm just a little disappointed its not nitrous oxide...

alkonaut 7y ago
I too read nitrous and pictured large event halls converted to temporary corona wards filled with thousands of people wearing masks and giggling.
- DoofusOfDeath 7y ago
  Even better, doctors would be prescribing cans of whipped cream.

fxtentacle 7y ago

That is from 2004.

ajaviaad 7y ago
It proved effective during SARS Cov-1 outbreak. Critical patients were treated using Nitric Oxide which not only improved lungs health but also improved immunity. Now clinical trials are being conducted to treat SARS Cov-2. Hopefully it will be effective in treating novel coronavirus patients. https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200409/nitric-oxide-investigated-as-covid19-treatment https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200409/nitric-oxide-invest...
- podgaj 7y ago
  Remember it is also important to control O2-(superoxides) since NO + O2- = ONO−2 (perixoynitrite) And that can lead to higher cytokine levels https://www.jbc.org/content/277/3/2330 https://www.jbc.org/content/277/3/2330 which are helpful to a certain extent...

bitL 7y ago

Does it mean we will need to eat raw crushed garlic daily alongside wearing masks now?

7952 7y ago
I have already increased my garlic intake quite a lot. Social distancing makes stinky breath less of a concern.
- mythrwy 7y ago
  And stinky breath makes social distancing easier.
asveikau 7y ago
Added benefit to keep vampires away.

klausnrooster 7y ago

So no harm including beets, beet juice, or beet root powder in your routine. Might even help. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/hypertensionaha.107.103523 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/hypertensionaha...

analog31 7y ago

I wonder if we're in danger of p hacking here. Suppose in the scramble to contain the outbreak, everything is tested for efficacy against the disease. There will surely be some positive studies just due to luck.

asdfasgasdgasdg 7y ago
Absolutely correct. This is a small part of why observational evidence is not very strong evidence. People should take each observation with a grain of salt.
Cyclone_ 7y ago
Perhaps that's true with some observations. I'm no expert on the subject here, but this does seem like a scientific study that wouldn't really involve luck.
- vikramkr 7y ago
  All scientific studies, including this one, involve uncertainty, which also Involves luck. Wed need to see a lot more data (and human data as well) before prescribing NO or viagra for coronavirus treatment. You also have the ability to select runs with faster or lower replication rates, confounding variables like the temperature that could have changed with each run or across the plate, etc.
sp332 7y ago
This is from 2004. Here's a quick search for papers which cite this one: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=3174486874880036805&as_sdt=5,30&sciodt=0,30&hl=en https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cites=3174486874880036805... Edit: "Role of epithelial nitric oxide in airway viral infection" https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584906000918 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S089158490... says NO inhibits both virus replication and latency of viruses, including coxsackievirus, influenza A and B, rhinovirus, cytomegalovirus, vaccinia virus, ectromelia virus, human herpesvirus-1, and HPIV3 and cites 10 papers for these claims.
Taek 7y ago

elric 7y ago

Random fact of the day: you produce nitric oxide in your paranasal sinuses, and concentrations increase while humming.

elbear 7y ago
That's one reason to breathe through your nose if you're not doing it.
rossdavidh 7y ago
"WHO and CDC advise everyone to start humming all day long." I like it.

podgaj 7y ago

So nutritionally we should be looking at things needed to stimulate the NOS gene (NOS1, NOS2, NOS3): NOS2 cofactors are; Heme, FAD, FMN, and BH4 Zinc - It helps make BH4 through the GCH1 and PTS enzymes from GTP. Riboflavin - it is the precursor for FMN and FAD. Notably zinc is needed to turn riboflavin into FMD and FAD. B6 (P5P) - Needed for Heme synthesis. Beets - The nitrates are turned into NO in the gut. Black Tea - Shown to increase NO. And shown to inhibit SARS: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142193/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1142193/ Vitamin C - Helps protect BH4 But it is for certain another reason to examine zinc in health outcomes from SARS infection. The metal binding site of NOS is zinc also so...

bitL 7y ago
How about l-Citrulline (watermelon) and alliin/allicin (garlic)?
- podgaj 7y ago
  Neither will help create NO without the cofactors that help the enzymes that make NO. It is like trying to stuff a clogged pipe with more water.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
goda90 7y ago
A varied diet to get all the minerals and vitamins is certainly good in general, but is that really what's being looked at here? Another comment posted a link about inhaled nitric oxide being used with SARS-1. People probably shouldn't be inhaling beets.
- podgaj 7y ago
  We know now that genetics and lifestyle can alter someones needs for nutrients. So what is good "in general" might not be good for me. https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/riboflavin-transporter-deficiency-neuronopathy#genes https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/riboflavin-transporter-def... It is not about inhaling beets, it is trying to figure out a possible environmental cause for the wide discrepancy of outcomes of SARS infection. We make NO in our body, some need more help than others and it might be genetic. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378111917310752 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037811191... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485952/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485952/

podgaj 7y ago

Coincidence? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939908/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2939908/ Malaria severity and human nitric oxide synthase type 2 (NOS2) promoter haplotypes

Cyclone_ 7y ago

I've been taking beet root powder for tough workouts for a while, no harm in taking it daily now.

manaskarekar 7y ago
What's a good brand? Really hard to find a trustworthy brand on amazon. Thanks!
- ricardobeat 7y ago
  Isn't it easier to just buy beetroots?
  - manaskarekar 7y ago
    No, and not especially in the current situation. It’s far too convenient to have a distilled source of nutrients/flavor as opposed to shopping, cleaning, preparing it and then storing it such that it is available without a lot of thought/planning. Of course, this is not a general statement, it only applies to some stuff. I enjoy “regular” food too much for that!

swiley 7y ago

Exposure to NOx can also permanently reduce lung function. This is one of those “in vitrio” things that’s kind of interesting but probably ultimately unhelpful (at least for the current situation.)

vixen99 7y ago
NOx? NO is a naturally occurring cardiovascular signalling molecule of enormous importance in the body so its actions may well be of significance in disease events.
gamblor956 7y ago
Nitric oxide in this context is the result of dietary processes of foods rich in certain types of nitrates. They are not referring to the direct inhalation of nitric oxide gas.

Alex3917 7y ago

There have been a bunch of posts about this, including this paper, on https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack. E.g. here is an interesting post with a bunch of natural breathing techniques for boosting nitric oxide production: https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack/comments/fp3i6l/naturally_produced_nitric_oxide_may_boost/ https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack/comments/fp3i6l/natura... There are a bunch of YouTube videos demonstrating how to do it if you search for them. The FDA also recently granted compassionate use authorization to a device that produces inhaled nitric oxide: https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/fda-expands-access-to-bellerophon-s-nitric-oxide-gas-for-covid-19-lung-symptoms https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/fda-expands-access-to-... This is a great example of why people don't trust mainstream medicine. You have the WHO very publicly "debunking" the idea that garlic could prevent Covid-19, and then the FDA approves use of some multi-million dollar device with the same mechanism of action and the company's stock increases 5x in a day.

Symbiote 7y ago
Remember that not trusting mainstream medicine is no reason at all to trust non-mainstream medicine. Non-mainstream medicine advises us to eat garlic with alcohol, wash with saline solution, take antibiotics, and burn down a mobile phone mast.
- DoofusOfDeath 7y ago
  I wonder if it's a mistake to treat all "non-mainstream medicine" as a single group here. I'm not a physician, but I find some elements of non-mainstream medicine (e.g. certain teas can ease certain symptoms) more plausible than others (e.g. burning down a mobile phone mast helps with prevent covid19 spread).
  - Symbiote 7y ago
    Absolutely, but it can be difficult for non-specialists to tell them apart. The anti-5G nonsense is spread with a similar anti-government spin to the original post by Alex3917. The herbal tea market includes everything from making your own ginger tea, to a box costing $20 and promoting some idea of ancient Indian spiritualism and vitality.

et2o 7y ago

There is a huge jump to make from cells in a dish to people.

derefr 7y ago

Arginine vasopressin supplements flying off the shelves yet?

pinkfoot 7y ago

So… smog.

KaiserPro 7y ago
I think thats N2O
- pinkfoot 7y ago
  NOx - NO and NO2 http://www.icopal-noxite.co.uk/nox-problem/nox-pollution.aspx http://www.icopal-noxite.co.uk/nox-problem/nox-pollution.asp... N2O is nitrous oxide. Laughing gas.
  - KaiserPro 7y ago
    thanks, I always get those mixed up. Its most frustrating

unstatusthequo 7y ago

Also, nitric oxdide is necessary for erections, and is what all the "boner drugs" increase when used. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/erectile-dysfunction/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355782 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/erectile-dysf... Sildenafil (Viagra) Tadalafil (Adcirca, Cialis) Vardenafil (Levitra, Staxyn) Avanafil (Stendra) Just wait for the spammers to get word of this. The emails should be entertaining: "Huge boner and kill COVID! BUY HERE!!!1!!"

S_A_P 7y ago
Came here for the boner pill comments and was not disappointed. I believe watermelon also helps with nitric oxide.
jl2718 7y ago
Okay I’m safe then.

ProgrammerMan 7y ago

... which is heavily found in leafy green vegetables. Eat healthy folks.

dillonmckay 7y ago

So, does use of nicotine cause nitric oxide to be released in the body? Was there some anecdotal data related to smoking and infection rate? I know very little about biology.

podgaj 7y ago
Smoking will reduce BH4 and that will lower NOS2 activity leading to lower NO. Nicotine on its own will inhibit GCH1 and lower levels of BH4 directly. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6201367/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6201367/ So no.

KaiserPro 7y ago

"In Vetro" https://xkcd.com/1217/ https://xkcd.com/1217/

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

Munky-Necan 7y ago

This isn't exactly surprising since NO is one of the main chemicals lymphocytes and granulocytes use to kill pathogenic cells.

pkaye 7y ago

I've read that ACE and ARB inhibitors promote the generation of nitric oxide.

youareostriches 7y ago
the hypothesis about ACE inhibitors and ARBs promoting covid-19 severity has never been proven in any human study and in fact ARBs have been shown to reduce mortality in one of the few covid studies which have been done: Anti-hypertensive Angiotensin II receptor blockers associated to mitigation of disease severity in elderly COVID-19 patients https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.20.20039586v1 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.20.20039586v...
- pkaye 7y ago
  I'm not saying that ACE/ARBs promote covid19 severity but rather they promote nitric oxide production.
  - youareostriches 7y ago
    Yes, they do that. It would be consistent with the results seen: Treatment with ACE-inhibitors is associated with less severe disease with SARS-Covid-19 infection in a multi-site UK acute Hospital Trust https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.07.20056788v1 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.07.20056788v...

djyaz1200 7y ago

If true this N.O. theory could explain some of the dramatic differences in Covid 19 outcomes based on age. "...production of NO declines steadily with increasing age..." (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3390088/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3390088/) It could also explain why heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure are comorbid for Covid 19 as they are all associated with lower N.O.

podgaj 7y ago
I am not stating fact here, just hypothesis. There are both diets and genetics that can tie all these comorbidities together. Just look at zinc and heart disease. I am just posting one study but the evidence is plentiful. https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/3/523.short https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/30/3/523.short So if one has heart disease they may also be low in zinc. So zinc might be the common denominator to both CVD and COVID19. It is not that heart disease is a risk factor for COVID19, but that zinc deficiency is a risk factor for both. And they find some odd effects in NO synthesis from zinc deficiency. It lowers NOS activity but has other bad effects as well: https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2000/07000/Nitric_oxide_and_manifestations_of_lesions_of_skin.1.aspx https://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2000/... On the other hand, total nitric oxide synthase activity in the intestine of zinc-deficient animals is significantly lower than that in controls, indicating that zinc deficiency may induce a potential vulnerability to nitric oxide rather than an absolute increase of nitric oxide synthase activities.