
Nitric oxide inhibits the replication cycle of SARS coronavirus (2004) - ajaviaad
https://jvi.asm.org/content/79/3/1966
======
podgaj
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...

~~~
cpncrunch
Getting sunlight on your skin is probably the best option.

[https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/14/1/191/htm#b4-ijms-14-00191](https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/14/1/191/htm#b4-ijms-14-00191)

Although a study from China shows that higher UV exposure doesn't seem to slow
down infection rates.

~~~
selimthegrim
Where was this study published?

~~~
cpncrunch
No idea. Just saw it referenced in media

~~~
selimthegrim
Found it -
[https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2020/04/01/1399300...](https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2020/04/01/13993003.00517-2020)

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

~~~
alkonaut
I too read nitrous and pictured large event halls converted to temporary
corona wards filled with thousands of people wearing masks and giggling.

~~~
DoofusOfDeath
Even better, doctors would be prescribing cans of whipped cream.

------
unstatusthequo
Also, nitric oxdide is necessary for erections, and is what all the "boner
drugs" increase when used.

[https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/erectile-
dysf...](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/erectile-
dysfunction/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355782)

    
    
        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
Came here for the boner pill comments and was not disappointed. I believe
watermelon also helps with nitric oxide.

------
Alex3917
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/natura...](https://www.reddit.com/r/covid19stack/comments/fp3i6l/naturally_produced_nitric_oxide_may_boost/)

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-...](https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/fda-expands-access-to-
bellerophon-s-nitric-oxide-gas-for-covid-19-lung-symptoms)

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
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
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
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.

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

~~~
rossdavidh
"WHO and CDC advise everyone to start humming all day long." I like it.

------
swiley
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
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.

------
klausnrooster
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...](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/hypertensionaha.107.103523)

------
djyaz1200
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
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/...](https://journals.lww.com/co-
clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2000/07000/Nitric_oxide_and_manifestations_of_lesions_of_skin.1.aspx)

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.

------
et2o
There is a huge jump to make from cells in a dish to people.

------
analog31
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.

~~~
Cyclone_
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
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.

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

~~~
manaskarekar
What's a good brand? Really hard to find a trustworthy brand on amazon.
Thanks!

~~~
ricardobeat
Isn't it easier to just buy beetroots?

~~~
manaskarekar
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!

------
podgaj
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

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

------
fxtentacle
That is from 2004.

~~~
ajaviaad
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-
invest...](https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200409/nitric-oxide-investigated-
as-covid19-treatment)

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

~~~
7952
I have already increased my garlic intake quite a lot. Social distancing makes
stinky breath less of a concern.

~~~
mythrwy
And stinky breath makes social distancing easier.

------
derefr
Arginine vasopressin supplements flying off the shelves yet?

------
dillonmckay
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
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.

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

~~~
youareostriches
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/10.1101/2020.03.20.20039586v...](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.20.20039586v1)

~~~
pkaye
I'm not saying that ACE/ARBs promote covid19 severity but rather they promote
nitric oxide production.

~~~
youareostriches
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/10.1101/2020.04.07.20056788v...](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.07.20056788v1)

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

------
KaiserPro
"In Vetro"

[https://xkcd.com/1217/](https://xkcd.com/1217/)

------
ncmncm
Viagra as covfefe-19 antagonist?

~~~
lbeltrame
I understand this is just a snarky remark, but IIRC sildenafil is actually
being tested.

~~~
GekkePrutser
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.

~~~
serf
>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/)

------
pinkfoot
So… smog.

~~~
KaiserPro
I think thats N2O

~~~
pinkfoot
NOx - NO and NO2

[http://www.icopal-noxite.co.uk/nox-problem/nox-
pollution.asp...](http://www.icopal-noxite.co.uk/nox-problem/nox-
pollution.aspx)

N2O is nitrous oxide. Laughing gas.

~~~
KaiserPro
thanks, I always get those mixed up. Its most frustrating

