Author/Authors :
Motaghinejad, Majid Razi Drug Research Center - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Gholami, Mina Department of Medicinal Chemistry - Faculty of Pharmacy - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract :
The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID‑19) infections is a
public health emergency during the years 2109–2020 and
cause international concern. Coronaviruses are a group of
viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds.[1,2] In
humans, coronaviruses cause respiratory tract infections that
are typically mild, such as the common cold, though rarer
forms such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome),
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS)
and COVID‑19 (coronavirus disease‑19) can be lethal.[1,2]
Symptoms vary in humans: but according to current data,
they cause upper respiratory tract diseases and between
2 and 3% of infected persons will die in high‑risk. Also,
there is no enough information about long‑term sequels
of infection by the family of the mentioned virus in the
infected person. But some indirect evidence suggested that
which infection caused by coronavirus family can lead to
neurological and mental sequels, but it is not proven yet.[2‑4]
Based on the recent data released, angiotensin‑converting
enzyme 2 (ACE2) can act as functional and host receptor
for coronaviruses, especially COVID‑19,[5,6] and it seems
that some parts of sequels of this virus in respiratory and
probably cardiovascular system was mediated via inhibition
of ACE‑2, but this was not exactly clarified.[6] On the
other way, it was suggested that ACE‑2 is one of the main enzymes, which by the mediation of some important
protein such as Mas protein, regulates normal brain
function and release of neurotrophic factors such as
brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)[7,8] BDNF has a
critical role in neurodevelopment, neurogenesis, inhibition
of occurrences of neurodegeneration, and normal mood
behavior such as mood stability and cognitive function.[9]
According to this concept, it was approved that decrease
activity of ACE‑2 or reduction of its expression by
some natural and acquired accident can disturb normal
neurological and mental activity and can remain long term
sequels.[8,10,11] Taken together according to recent studies, it
was suggested that ACE‑2 can be a target for COVID‑19 in
a strategic organ such as the brain and based on these data,
it can be assumed that infection by COVID‑19 may cause
inhibition of ACE‑2 and its downstream, BDNF, thus, it can
instigate neurodegeneration (increase of oxidative stress,
neuroinflammation, and apoptosis) and can probably cause
mentally related disorders such as anxiety, depression, and
cognition impairment. Although this claim is a hypothesis
and effect of COVID‑19 infection should be evaluated in
an infected person [Figure 1].
