A hypothesis that Notopterol may be effective in COVID-19 via JAK/STAT and other signaling pathways

Fereshteh Nazari-Khanamiri; Morteza Ghasemnejad-Berenji

doi:10.1515/jbcpp-2022-0028

Article

A hypothesis that Notopterol may be effective in COVID-19 via JAK/STAT and other signaling pathways

Fereshteh Nazari-Khanamiri and Morteza Ghasemnejad-Berenji

Published/Copyright: April 8, 2022

Published by

Become an author with De Gruyter Brill

Submit Manuscript Author Information Explore this Subject

From the journal Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology Volume 34 Issue 3

Abstract

COVID-19 is a rapidly spreading disease, causing a global pandemic. It is circulating in multiple countries and causing a series of respiratory infections. Due to the uncertain safety and efficacy of the vaccines and lack of specific medicines, it’s important to investigate new pharmacological procedures and find out new drugs that help us eradicate this pandemic. We suggest the hypothesis that Notopterol (NOT), the main Secondary metabolite of Notopterygium incisum Ting ex H.T (a common Chinese medicinal herb), may have the potential benefits on SARS-CoV2 infection for this reasons: (a) NOT exhibits anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-angiogenic properties, (b) NOT indicates a significant reduction in cytokines and chemokines releasing including TNFa, IL-6, interferon-γ, which may decrease COVID-19 cytokine storm (c) NOT can suppress the expression of genes which leads to inflammation via Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway. It is exactly acting like tocilizumab, (an approved drug against COVID-19) and (d) Notopterygium incisum has antiviral activity against influenza virus, it can reduce the viral-induced oxidative stress. By these explanations, it is hopeful that NOT may be effective in COVID-19 infections which needs further investigations to examine Notopterol as a beneficial agent against the SARS-CoV2 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; JAK-STAT pathway; Notopterol; Notopterygium incisum ting exH.T; SARS-CoV2; second metabolite

Corresponding author: Fereshteh Nazari-Khanamiri, Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Urmia 5715799313, Iran, E-mail: Fereshtehnazari008@gmail.com

Research funding: There is no funding.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
Ethical approval: The local Institutional Review Board deemed the study exempt from review.

References

1. Wang, Q, Zhou, X, Yang, L, Zhao, Y, Chew, Z, Xiao, J, et al.. The natural compound Notopterol binds and targets JAK2/3 to ameliorate inflammation and arthritis. Cell Rep 2020;32:108158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108158.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

2. Chen, D, Wang, Q, Li, Y, Sun, P, Kuek, V, Yuan, J, et al.. Notopterol attenuates estrogen deficiency-induced osteoporosis via repressing RANKL signaling and reactive oxygen species. Front Pharmacol 2021;12:1054. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.664836.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

3. Huang, Q, Wang, L, Ran, Q, Wang, J, Wang, C, He, H, et al.. Notopterol-induced apoptosis and differentiation in human acute myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells. Drug Des Dev Ther 2019;13:1927. https://doi.org/10.2147/dddt.s189969.Search in Google Scholar

4. Wang, X, Jia, W, Zhao, A, Wang, X, et al.. Anti-influenza agents from plants and traditional Chinese medicine. Phytother Res 2006;20:335–41. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1892.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

5. Cao, X. COVID-19: immunopathology and its implications for therapy. Nat Rev Immunol 2020;20:269–70. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-020-0308-3.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

6. Ravid, JD, Leiva, O, Chitalia, VC. Janus kinase signaling pathway and its role in COVID-19 inflammatory, vascular, and thrombotic manifestations. Cells 2022;11:306. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11020306.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

7. Fagyas, M, Fejes, Z, Sütő, R, Nagy, Z, Székely, B, Pócsi, M, et al.. Circulating ACE2 activity predicts mortality and disease severity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Int J Infect Dis 2022;115:8–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.11.028.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

8. Hariharan, A, Hakeem, AR, Radhakrishnan, S, Reddy, MS, Rela, M. The role and therapeutic potential of NF-kappa-B pathway in severe COVID-19 patients. Inflammopharmacology 2021;29:91–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-020-00773-9.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

9. Ghasemnejad‐Berenji, M. Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory potential of crocin in COVID-19 treatment. J Food Biochem 2021;45:e13718.10.1111/jfbc.13718Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

10. Qiu, L, Wu, X-W, Zhang, S-Y, Yang, M, Shun-Xian, Z. Evaluation of efficacy and safety of Qiangzhu-qinggan formula as an adjunctive therapy in adult patients with severe influenza: study protocol for a randomized parallel placebo-controlled double-blind multicenter trial. Trials 2021;22:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05929-8.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

11. Lao, L, Hochberg, M, Lee, DYW, Gilpin, AMK, Fong, HHS. Huo-Luo-Xiao-Ling (HLXL)-Dan, a traditional Chinese medicine, for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a multi-site, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2015;23:2102–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2015.06.007.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

12. Azietaku, JT, Ma, H, Yu, X, Li, J, Oppong, MB. A review of the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Notopterygium incisum. J Ethnopharmacol 2017;202:241–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2017.03.022.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

13. Xiao, Y, Yuan, L, Liu, Y, Sun, X, Cheng, J. Traditional Chinese patent medicine for prophylactic treatment of migraine: a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Eur J Neurol 2015;22:361–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.12581.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

14. Wang, Q, Wang, YR, Jia, QY, Liu, L, Xu, CQ. The efficacy of the traditional Chinese medicine Juanbi pill combined with methotrexate in active rheumatoid arthritis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2018;19:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2555-1.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

Received: 2022-02-02

Accepted: 2022-03-07

Published Online: 2022-04-08

You are currently not able to access this content.

Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jbcpp-2022-0028

Keywords for this article

COVID-19; JAK-STAT pathway; Notopterol; Notopterygium incisum ting exH.T; SARS-CoV2; second metabolite