Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32387333›Full record

ArticleMicrobes and infection

Could nasal nitric oxide help to mitigate the severity of COVID-19?

Jan Martel, Yun-Fei Ko, John D Young, David M Ojcius

Open access · greenAbstract readEditorial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Microbes and infection. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
54citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

54 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 104 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Dietary xenobiotics and their role in immunomodulation.Food science and biotechnology · 2025
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  8. Acupoint stimulation for long COVID: A promising intervention:.World journal of acupuncture-moxibustion · 2023
    Review
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Utility of NO and HNitric oxide : biology and chemistry · 2022
    Review
  16. Cold atmospheric plasma for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.Plasma processes and polymers (Print) · 2022
    Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Jan MartelCenter for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Chang Gung Immunology Consortium, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Yun-Fei KoChang Gung Immunology Consortium, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Chang Gung Biotechnology Corporation, Taipei, Taiwan; Biochemical Engineering Research Center, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
John D YoungCenter for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Chang Gung Biotechnology Corporation, Taipei, Taiwan.
David M OjciusCenter for Molecular and Clinical Immunology, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Chang Gung Immunology Consortium, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of the Pacific, Arthur Dugoni School of Dentistry, San Francisco, CA, USA; University of Paris, Paris, France. Electronic address: dojcius@pacific.edu.
Chang Gung University · TWMing Chi University of Technology · TWUniversity of the Pacific · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The nasal cavity and turbinates play important physiological functions by filtering, warming and humidifying inhaled air. Paranasal sinuses continually produce nitric oxide (NO), a reactive oxygen species that diffuses to the bronchi and lungs to produce bronchodilatory and vasodilatory effects. Studies indicate that NO may also help to reduce respiratory tract infection by inactivating viruses and inhibiting their replication in epithelial cells. In view of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), clinical trials have been designed to examine the effects of inhaled nitric oxide in COVID-19 subjects. We discuss here additional lifestyle factors such as mouth breathing which may affect the antiviral response against SARS-CoV-2 by bypassing the filtering effect of the nose and by decreasing NO levels in the airways. Simple devices that promote nasal breathing during sleep may help prevent the common cold, suggesting potential benefits against coronavirus infection. In the absence of effective treatments against COVID-19, the alternative strategies proposed here should be considered and studied in more detail.

Indexed as

BetacoronavirusAdministration, IntranasalCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19HumansNitric OxidePandemicsPneumonia, ViralSARS-CoV-2Viral LoadNitric OxideBreathingCoronavirusCOVID-19Innate immunityNitric oxide

Identifiers

PMID32387333
PMCPMC7200356
OpenAlexW3022413401

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.