The Cholinergic and ACE-2-Dependent Anti-Inflammatory Systems in the Lung: New Scenarios Emerging From COVID-19

Martina Di Maro; Mauro Cataldi; Mariarosaria Santillo; Martina Chiurazzi; Simona Damiano; Barbara De Conno; Antonio Colantuoni; Bruna Guida

doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.653985

The Cholinergic and ACE-2-Dependent Anti-Inflammatory Systems in the Lung: New Scenarios Emerging From COVID-19

Front Physiol. 2021 May 13:12:653985. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.653985. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Martina Di Maro¹, Mauro Cataldi², Mariarosaria Santillo¹, Martina Chiurazzi¹, Simona Damiano¹, Barbara De Conno¹, Antonio Colantuoni¹, Bruna Guida¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Physiology Nutrition Unit, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
² Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, Division of Pharmacology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.

Abstract

The renin angiotensin system and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway have been recently shown to modulate lung inflammation in patients with COVID-19. We will show how studies performed on this disease are starting to provide evidence that these two anti-inflammatory systems may functionally interact with each other, a mechanism that could have a more general physiological relevance than only COVID-19 infection.

Keywords: angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; inflammation; lung; nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Publication types

Review