A case of xenon inhalation therapy for respiratory failure and neuropsychiatric disorders associated with COVID-19

Authors

  • Vladimir Vasil'evich Udut Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3829-7132
  • Sergei Alexandrovich Naumov Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8724-0212
  • Diana Nikolaevna Evtushenko Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5844-119X
  • Elena Vladimirovna Udut Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk, Russia; Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6104-4782
  • Sergei Sergeevich Naumov Siberian State Medical University, Tomsk, Russia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3868-2310
  • Gleb Nikolaevich Zyuz'kov Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, 634028, Lenin avenue, 3, Tomsk, Russia; Telephone: +73822418372, E-mail: zgn@pharmso.ru https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0384-333X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2021-4316

Keywords:

SARS-CoV-2, xеnon, surfactant, respiratory failure, neuropsychiatric disorders, molecular modeling

Abstract

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the main danger to the life of patients with pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2. At the same time, respiratory failure (RF) after ARDS can persist for a long time despite intensive therapy. Therefore, it is important to develop new effective approaches for restoring the ventilation function of the lungs after COVID-19. Here, we present a case report of effective application of short-term inhalations of xenon-oxygen (Xe/O2) gas mixture for treatment of RF and neuropsychiatric disorders (NPD) associated with COVID-19. The patient inhaled a gas mixture of 70 % Xe and 30 % O2. We used multispiral computed tomography, evaluated psychometry, studied hematological and biochemical blood parameters, and applied some other methods of clinical studies to assess the therapeutic effectiveness of Xe inhalation. Also, we studied the mechanism of action of xenon with computer modeling. The clinical case showed the high efficacy of Xe/O2 mixture for treating severe RF and NPD after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Xenon inhalations dramatically increased oxygen saturation and the degree of pneumatization of the lungs. We found out that in coronavirus pneumonia, saturated phospholipids of surfactant are transferred to the solid-ordered phase, which disrupts the surface tension of the alveoli and alveolar gas exchange. Using molecular modeling methods, we demonstrated that the xenon atom increases the distance between the acyl chains of phospholipids due to the van der Waals dispersion interaction. These changes allow for the phase transition of phospholipids from the solid-ordered phase to the liquid phase and restore the functional activity of the surfactant. The findings suggest the feasibility of conducting studies on the effectiveness of Xe/O2 inhalations for treating ARDS in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Downloads

Published

2021-10-28

How to Cite

Udut, V. V., Naumov, S. A., Evtushenko, D. N., Udut, E. V., Naumov, S. S., & Zyuz’kov, G. N. (2021). A case of xenon inhalation therapy for respiratory failure and neuropsychiatric disorders associated with COVID-19. EXCLI Journal, 20, 1517–1525. https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2021-4316

Issue

Vol. 20 (2021)

Section

Case reports

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Vladimir Vasil'evich Udut, Sergei Alexandrovich Naumov, Diana Nikolaevna Evtushenko, Elena Vladimirovna Udut, Sergei Sergeevich Naumov, Gleb Nikolaevich Zyuz'kov

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:

  • The authors keep the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license, CC BY 4.0. This licencse permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
  • The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.
  • Because the advice and information in this journal are believed to be true and accurate at the time of publication, neither the authors, the editors, nor the publisher accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions presented in the publication. The publisher makes no guarantee, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.
  • The authors can enter into additional contracts for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version by citing the initial publication in this journal (e.g. publishing in an institutional repository or in a book).