High-Dose Vitamin C Supplementation as a Legitimate Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Prophylaxis in Healthy Subjects-Yes or No?

Vitamin C has a number of acitvities that could contribute to its immune-modulating effects. The only question is whether we should provide ourselves with only the right level of it, or do we need much more during a pandemic? The possibility of reducing the incidence of viral diseases in a well-nourished population through the use of dietary supplements based on vitamin C is not supported in the literature. Despite this, the belief that an extra intake of vitamin C can increase the efficacy of the immune system is still popular and vitamin C is advertised as a remedy to prevent infectious disease. This article refers to the justification of the use of vitamin C in high doses as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 prophylaxis in healthy subjects. Does it make sense or not? As it turns out, any effects of vitamin C supplementation may be more prominent when the baseline vitamin C level is low, for example in physically active persons. People with hypovitaminosis C are more likely to respond to vitamin C administration. No studies regarding prevention of COVID-19 with high-dose vitamin C supplementation in healthy subjects were found.

Vitamin D and Influenza-Prevention or Therapy?

Vitamin D generates many extraskeletal effects due to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) which is present in most tissues throughout the body. The possible role of vitamin D in infections is implied from its impact on the innate and adaptive immune responses. A significant effect is also the suppression of inflammatory processes. Because vitamin D could be acknowledged as a "seasonal stimulus", as defined by R. Edgar Hope-Simpson, it would be crucial to prove it from a potential easy and cheap prophylaxis or therapy support perspective as far as influenza infections are concerned. The survey of the literature data generates some controversies and doubts about the possible role of vitamin D in the prevention of influenza virus. The most important point is to realise that the broad spectrum of this vitamin's activity does not exclude such a possibility. According to most of the authors, more randomized controlled trials with effective, large populations are needed to explore the preventive effect of vitamin D supplementation on viral influenza infections.

Role of thiamine in Huntington's disease pathogenesis: In vitro studies.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress accompanies neurodegeneration and also causes abnormalities in thiaminedependent processes. These processes have been reported to be diminished in the brains of patients with several neurodegenerative diseases. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to conduct a comparative analysis of the impact of supplemented thiamine on the viability of human B lymphocytes with CAG abnormal expanded huntingtin gene (mHTT) (GM13509) and control, B lymphocytes without mHTT (GM14467) through the following studies: determination of the supplemented thiamine concentrations, which are effective for cell growth stimulation after incubation in thiamine deficit conditions; determination of cell capability to intake the exogenous thiamine; evaluation of exogenous thiamine influence on the profile of the genes related to thiamine and energy metabolism; determination of ATP synthesis and activities of thiamine-dependent enzymes, KGDHC and BCKDHC in the intact cells and upon the exogenous thiamine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The following methods were used: EZ4U test for cell growth analysis; HPLC for determination of thiamine intake and ATP synthesis, qRT-PCR for evaluation of the gene profiles and spectrophotometric method for KGDHC and BCKDHC activities determination. RESULTS: Maximal cell growth stimulation was observed at 2.5 mM in GM14467 up to 135% of the control culture and at 5.0 mM in GM13509 cells up to 165% of the control culture. Native levels of total ATP and KGDHC and BCKDHC activities in both cell types were comparable and did not changed upon thiamine deficit or supplementation. GM13509 cells showed more of an increase in growth stimulation upon thiamine supplementation than GM14467 cells and this effect was reflected in the increase of intracellular thiamine concentration. CONCLUSIONS: The above results and reported changes in expression of GAPDH, IDH1 and SLC19A3 genes observed upon thiamine deficit conditions suggest that intracellular thiamine status and energy metabolism can have a role in HD pathogenesis.