Simona Cantuniari
commented on 26 April, 2020
Methylene Blue and possibly other thiazine dyes or even phenothiazines are indeed very promising as possible COVID 19 treatments, why no one talks about this in the medical community?! Instead of very expensive monoclonal antibodies, this could be effective and very affordable. There have been articles regarding the role of hemoglobin disruption in COVID-19. But this happens in so many infections (malaria is the obvious example but it occurs in many other viral and bacterial diseases, as pathogens need and feed on hemoglobin, They need Fe, aminoacids from globin to grow and infect other cells. It's their mechanism of survival and replication. Viral, bacterial, parasitic infections trigger hemoglobin disruption or dysfunction, followed by hemolysis. If the patient has diabetes, glycated hemoglobin HbA1C is even ore dysfunctional, which probably explains the fact that diabetics experience the worst symtoms (also diabetics are usually prescribed ACE inhibitors, increasing the expression of those receptors responsible for facilitating virus entry in the cells). If hemoglobin is harmed and hemolysis occurs following infection, there will be an excess of free heme, bilirubin, biliverdin, all these being highly toxic. There will also be an excess of matrix metalloproteinases, harming collagen structures in the lungs and many other structures, while enzymes and proteins responsible for binding free heme and bilirubin will become less functional and will be exhausted. Hemoglobin, released from hemolysed red blood cells, is filtered by the glomerulus, releasing heme, which is toxic to kidneys (already more vulnerable in people with diabetes), triggering inflammation, by activating TLR-4, tubular obstruction and injury Kidney injury is followed by water retention in tissues, notably lungs. The fact that antimalaria agents (Hydroxychloroquine or Plaquenil is the best known) were successful could be explained by their mechanism of action , protecting hemoglobin. Methylene blue has the same ability and has been used for malaria as well, until new medication has replaced it. Other antimalarial medications (Artemisinins) could be used too. SARS, influenza and malaria are remarkably similar from the point of view of their symptoms and this points out to hemoglobin disruption and hemolysis, with systemic serious effects. There are different subtypes of hemoglobin, some of them dysfunctional, Mediteranean populations frequently manifest Hb variants, G6PD deficiency and so on as protective antimalarial solutions.. This could perhaps explain so many COVID-19 severe cases in the Mediteranean area. Hemoglobin function can be supported by Methylene blue (methylthioninium chloride), used for methemoglobinemia and cyanide poisoning, for malaria and other infectious diseases. Other thiazine dyes or even phenothiazines could help too. Methylene blue penetrates viral envelope and inhbits replication. It has been used for H5N1 influenza and other influenza subtypes, there are many articles about its use but apparently it was forgotten. Along with protease inhibitors, methylene blue and intravenous vitamin C could be useful, restoring normal ability of Hb to transport oxygen to cells and reducing severe hypoxemia . Matrix metalloproteinases inhibitors - Doxycycline and possibly Minocycline - could be used too. They also have antiinflammatory and probably antiviral properties too. There are lots of articles supporting this. Hemoperfusion or extracorporeal circuits and devices, removing cytokine excess, are helpful because they also remove bilirubin and probably matrix metalloproteinases and free heme. Modified albumin has been used in Ebola. It binds viral particles and toxins. Another valuable agent against viruses is Inosine (Isoprinosine). It has antiviral, antiinflammatory properties and has been used in influenza and other viral diseases. Because NSAIDs role is controversial, there are natural antiinflammatory agents, unfortunately palmitoylethanolamide from egg yolk, is largely unavailable. No side effects, unlike NSAIDs or steroids. Lecithin also has antiinflammatory properties, protecting cell membranes as well. Lecithin also has antiinflammatory properties, protecting cell membranes as well. There are so many articles supporting these facts. (I can post them if needed.)
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Hello, these are just a few links: https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/must-read-research-reveals-that-covid-19-attacks-hemoglobin-in-red-blood-cells,-rendering-it-incapable-of-transporting-oxygen--current-medical-protoco https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3297580/ https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2007086995A2/en https://patents.google.com/patent/ES2349322T3/en https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221708322_Doxycycline_treatment_attenuates_acute_lung_injury_in_mice_infected_with_virulent_influenza_H3N2_virus_Involvement_of_matrix_metalloproteinases https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4087592/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5365694/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5100179/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6822865/ https://www.hindawi.com/journals/iji/2013/151028/ There are many discussions about Doxycycline and Azithromycin as possibly effective in reducing cytokine storm and also this one about DIC is very interesting - how we should understand disseminate intravascular coagulation which happens in the most severe cases: https://www.healtheuropa.eu/azithromycin-prevent-nhs-workers-developing-covid-19/99271/ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324233946_Disseminated_intravascular_coagulation_Is_it_fact_or_fancy Best regards, stay safe, Simona Cantuniari
