A common antihypertensive drug stopped the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the lab. Two other common antihypertensive drugs did not stop SARS-CoV-2 in the lab. CCB with chloroquine was more effective against SARS-CoV-2.
Calcium channel blockers are used to treat high blood pressure, heart problems, and irregular heartbeats. CCBs have also been shown to fight some new viruses, including bunyaviruses, arenaviruses, and flaviviruses. About 30% of people with SARS-CoV-2 also have high blood pressure. These patients are more likely to die from the virus. It is important to find new drugs to treat them. Some worry that giving antihypertensive drugs to patients with coronavirus could make the disease worse. These drugs affect the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), which could lead to higher levels of ACE2, making the disease more severe. A recent study showed that RAAS inhibitors do not increase the risk of hospitalization for people with or without fatal cases of the virus. In this study, we tested some common antihypertensive drugs and found that two of them, benidipine HCI and amlodipine besylate, can fight viruses in the lab. A study of past cases showed that amlodipine besylate helped patients with hypertension and coronavirus. These results help us choose drugs for treating patients with hypertension and COIVD-19.
To test if CCBs can stop SARS-CoV-2 from replicating, Vero E6 cells were treated with nine CCBs and then infected with SARS-CoV-2 at a rate of 0.05. At 24 hours post-infection, we measured the viral RNA copy number in the supernatant using real-time PCR. We also monitored the intracellular level of virus infection using an antibody against the virus NP protein. All these CCBs can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication. The most effective are benidipine HCI, amlodipine besylate, cilnidipine, and nicardipine HCI.
Administration of amlodipine besylate is associated with a decreased case fatality rate in COVID-19 patients with hypertension.
Amlodipine besylate reduced the CFR in patients, with the CFR being significantly lower in the amlodipine besylate-treated group. The Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that amlodipine besylate treated patients had a lower risk of death than those who did not receive amlodipine besylate.