In this video, Dr. Seheult of MedCram discusses patients with long COVID. The most common complaint in these individuals is fatigue. In an article in Metabolites, it is discussed how mitochondrial dysfunction may be playing a role in long COVID symptoms.
Role of sunlight and mitochondria
MedCram has done previous presentations on how important it is for sunlight to play a role in one’s health, including Sunlight in Covid and Light as Medicine and that sunlight might be able to affect how mitochondria function. Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. Within the matrix of the mitochondria is where metabolism occurs. Here, fats, sugars, and proteins are utilized and broken down.
Fats in the mitochondria and reactive oxygen species
This video discusses and focuses on how fats specifically are utilized within the mitochondria. Throughout processes in the mitochondria, the substrates eventually make it to the electron transport chain where ATP (energy) is made. Unfortunately, the process of creating ATP also creates reactive oxygen species. These radicals can be dangerous if left uncontained and can damage the matrix in the mitochondria which can lead to death of the cell. The mitochondria typically has a balance and maintains enough antioxidants that can be used to counteract these reactive oxygen species. However, problems can occur when there is no longer a balance.
Long COVID and mitochondria
There is ongoing extensive research to try and determine the underlying pathophysiology that is affecting long COVID patients. One such lead is from the article in Metabolites. In this study, the researchers took patients that were healthy, patients that had just gotten over COVID, and patients who had been experiencing long COVID symptoms. The researchers looked at all of the different byproducts from the mitochondria amongst these types of patients. They found in general that fatty acids and acylcarnitines were higher in the long COVID patients compared to healthy subjects. So what does that mean?
The article states that the higher baseline levels of fatty acid and acylcarnitine are indicative of ongoing mobilization of fatty acids and show impaired ability for oxidation due to mitochondrial dysfunction. Enzymes that are involved in the beta oxidation (breakdown) of fats that allows them to be broken down and put into the citric acid cycle are not working properly. This appears to be causing a backlog of these fatty acids and acylcarnitine. How are the mitochondria getting damaged then? A theory is that it is due to the reactive oxygen species that are generated with these products. An article in Antioxidants suggests that persons with COVID have less antioxidants across all age groups and likewise levels of oxidative stress are higher across all age groups with COVID. When looking at measures of oxidative damage (in this instance the marker was levels of F2-isoprostane), the study found that patients with COVID had higher levels across all age groups.
How to mitigate mitochondrial damage
So theoretically, if this is happening in the mitochondrial of COVID patients, is there anything that can be done to try and mitigate this? In the mitochondrial, there is melatonin, an antioxidant, which can balance out some of the reactive oxygen species. There is a study by Zimmerman which suggests that increased melatonin production may occur by exposure to near infrared light. At night, melatonin is made by the pineal gland and can help quell some of the reactive oxygen species at night but during the day melatonin is produced in the mitochondria as a result of exposure to near infrared light. This melatonin may mitigate more damage that can occur in the mitochondria due to the unopposed reactive oxygen species.
Sunlight and health
There is evidence that people who spend more time outdoors have better health. Sunlight in history has been used to treat and help with several diseases in the past. There are no randomized placebo controlled trials confirming this, however some of the evidence as seen in prior MedCram videos is quite compelling. Be sure to watch our videos on Sunlight in Covid and Light as Medicine. Long COVID remains an emerging area of study.
LINKS / REFERENCES:
Sunlight and Protection Against Influenza (Economics & Human Biology) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science…
A geographical approach to the development of hypotheses relating to Covid-19 death rates (Melatonin Research) | https://www.melatonin-research.net/in…
Signatures of Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Impaired Fatty Acid Metabolism in Plasma of Patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (Metabolites) | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/12/11/…
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MedCram Update 46: https://youtu.be/EFRwnhfWXxo
MedCram Update 47: https://youtu.be/H1LHgyfPPQ8
MedCram Update 132: https://youtu.be/9OZZ6_M4OB0
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