Ritz Thomas, Salsman Margot L, Young Danielle A, Lippert Alexander R, Khan Dave A, Ginty Annie T
Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, 6116 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1160, Dallas, TX, USA.
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, One Bear Place, 97334, Baylor Sciences Building, Suite B.309, Waco, TX, USA.
Brain Behav Immun Health. 2021 Jul;14:100255. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100255. Epub 2021 Apr 5.
Nitric oxide (NO) is a ubiquitous signaling molecule that is critical for supporting a plethora of processes in biological organisms. Among these, its role in the innate immune system as a first line of defense against pathogens has received less attention. In asthma, levels of exhaled NO have been utilized as a window into airway inflammation caused by allergic processes. However, respiratory infections count among the most important triggers of disease exacerbations. Among the multitude of factors that affect NO levels are psychological processes. In particular, longer lasting states of psychological stress and depression have been shown to attenuate NO production. The novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has caused a pandemic, and with that, sustained levels of psychological stress globally, also adversely affects NO signaling. We review evidence on the role of NO in respiratory infection, including COVID-19, and stress, and argue that boosting NO bioavailability may be beneficial in protection from infections, thus benefitting individuals who suffer from stress in asthma or SARS-CoV-2 infection.
一氧化氮（NO）是一种普遍存在的信号分子，对支持生物体内众多生理过程至关重要。其中，它在先天性免疫系统中作为抵御病原体的第一道防线所起的作用受到的关注较少。在哮喘中，呼出的NO水平已被用作了解由过敏过程引起的气道炎症的窗口。然而，呼吸道感染是疾病加重的最重要触发因素之一。影响NO水平的众多因素中包括心理过程。特别是，长期持续的心理压力和抑郁状态已被证明会减弱NO的产生。新型严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）引发了一场大流行，随之而来的是全球范围内持续的心理压力，这也对NO信号传导产生不利影响。我们综述了关于NO在包括2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）在内的呼吸道感染以及压力中所起作用的证据，并认为提高NO的生物利用度可能有助于预防感染，从而使哮喘或感染SARS-CoV-2的应激个体受益。
