FDA approved L-type channel blocker Nifedipine reduces cell death in hypoxic A549 cells through modulation of mitochondrial calcium and superoxide generation.

ABSTRACT: As hypoxia is a major driver for the pathophysiology of COVID-19, it is crucial to characterize the hypoxic response at the cellular and molecular levels. In order to augment drug repurposing with the identification of appropriate molecular targets, investigations on therapeutics preventing hypoxic cell damage is required. In this work, we propose a hypoxia model based on alveolar lung epithelial cells line using chemical inducer, CoCl₂ that can be used for testing calcium channel blockers (CCBs). Since recent studies suggested that CCBs may reduce the infectivity of SARS-Cov-2, we specifically select FDA approved calcium channel blocker, nifedipine for the study. First, we examined hypoxia-induced cell morphology and found a significant increase in cytosolic calcium levels, mit

SUBMITTER: Manohar K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8520174 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature