Effect of Fucoidan on the Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (ΔΨm) of Leukocytes from Patients with Active COVID-19 and Subjects That Recovered from SARS-CoV-2 Infection

• Published in: Marine drugs Vol. 20; no. 2; p. 99
• Main Authors: Díaz-Resendiz, Karina Janice Guadalupe, Covantes-Rosales, Carlos Eduardo, Benítez-Trinidad, Alma Betsaida, Navidad-Murrieta, Migdalia Sarahy, Razura-Carmona, Francisco Fabian, Carrillo-Cruz, Christian Daniel, Frias-Delgadillo, Edwin Jaime, Pérez-Díaz, Daniela Alejandra, Díaz-Benavides, Matxil Violeta, Zambrano-Soria, Mercedes, Ventura-Ramón, Guadalupe Herminia, Romero-Castro, Aurelio, Alam-Escamilla, David, Girón-Pérez, Manuel Iván
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24.01.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Aged; Algae; Alzheimer's disease; Antiviral agents; Antiviral drugs; Carbonyl compounds; Carbonyls; Cations; CCCP; Complications; complications (disease); Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 infection; Cyanides; Cyanine dyes; Dengue fever; Dyes; Female; Fucoidan; Herpes viruses; HIV; Homeostasis; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Infections; Inflammation; Iodides; Leukocytes; Leukocytes (mononuclear); Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - physiology; Male; Membrane potential; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial - drug effects; Membranes; Metabolism; Metabolites; Middle Aged; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - drug effects; mitochondrial membrane; mitochondrial membrane potential; Patients; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Phaeophyceae - chemistry; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides - chemistry; Polysaccharides - pharmacology; Recovery; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Therapeutic targets; therapeutics; Viral diseases; Viral infections; Womens health; Young Adult; CCCP; SARS-CoV-2; fucoidan; mitochondrial membrane potential
• ISSN: 1660-3397; 1660-3397
• DOI: 10.3390/md20020099

Fucoidan is a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, with anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and immune-enhancing properties, thus, fucoidan may be used as an alternative treatment (complementary to prescribed medical therapy) for COVID-19 recovery. This work aimed to determine the ex-vivo effects of treatment with fucoidan (20 µg/mL) on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm, using a cationic cyanine dye, 3,3′-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC6(3)) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (HPBMC) isolated from healthy control (HC) subjects, COVID-19 patients (C-19), and subjects that recently recovered from COVID-19 (R1, 40 ± 13 days after infection). In addition, ex-vivo treatment with fucoidan (20 and 50 µg/mL) was evaluated on ΔΨm loss induced by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP, 150 µM) in HPBMC isolated from healthy subjects (H) and recovered subjects at 11 months post-COVID-19 (R2, 335 ± 20 days after infection). Data indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces HPBMC loss of ΔΨm, even 11 months after infection, however, fucoidan promotes recovery of ΔΨm in PBMCs from COVID-19 recovered subjects. Therefore, fucoidan may be a potential treatment to diminish long-term sequelae from COVID-19, using mitochondria as a therapeutic target for the recovery of cellular homeostasis.