The Potential Role of Nitric Oxide as a Therapeutic Agent against SARS-CoV-2 Infection

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become the greatest worldwide public health threat of this century, which may predispose multi-organ failure (especially the lung) and death despite numerous mild and moderate symptoms. Recent studies have unraveled the molecular and clinical characteristics of the infectivity, pathogenicity, and immune evasion of SARS-CoV-2 and thus improved the development of many different therapeutic strategies to combat COVID-19, including treatment and prevention. Previous studies have indicated that nitric oxide (NO) is an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory molecule with key roles in pulmonary vascular function in the context of viral infections and other pulmonary disease states. This review summarized the recent advances of the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, and accordingly elaborated on the potential application of NO in the management of patients with COVID-19 through antiviral activities and anti-inflammatory properties, which mitigate the propagation of this disease. Although there are some limits of NO in the treatment of COVID-19, it might be a worthy candidate in the multiple stages of COVID-19 prevention or therapy.