COVID 19 AND ACE INHIBITTORS So ganito ang nangyayari, and Covid 19 virus ay napatunayang ang kanyang docking site o yung kanyang inaangklahan (or kinakapitan) a cell membrane ay ang receptors na sya ring inakapitan ng ACE2 , o ang tinatawag na Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This is an enzyme that is expressed by the  heart, kidney, and testes.

Ang issue ngayon ay itong mga ACE inhibitors na medicines, as the name suggests they inhibit the ACE of the Angiotensin-converting enzyme. Ang ACE kasi ang involved sa blood pressure at pag dilate ng mga blood vessels. Kaya ung ma –inhibit mo sila, hindi taas ang BP ng isang tao na umiinum nito. Ang tanong ngayon ay, KUNG ang isang gamot like ang ACE inhibitors ba ay makaka inhibit din nga ACE2? At issue talaga ito kasi, ano mangyayari pag na inhibit mo ang production ni ACE2? Recall that ACE2 and Covid 19 share the same receptor. Ibig sabihin nito meron silang tinatawag na competitive binding , o nag uunahan sila na makadock sa isang receptor. Parang mga barko na naguunahan maka dock sa iisang pier lamang. So in other words, the binding of ACE2 on its receptor will not leave space for the Covid 19 virus, OK? Gets? So dapat hindi natin ini-inhibit ang formation ng ACE2  para magamit nya ang kanyang receptor at walang receptor si Covid19.

Ngayon, ang mga ACE inhibitors ba ay pwedeng maka inhibit ng ACE2. Yun ang pinagdedebatihan ngayon. So tingnan natin ang structure ng ACE  at ng ACE2.  “ACE2 contains a single HEXXH zinc-binding domain which is homologous to one of the active sites of ACE and has 40% overall identity to ACE.” (WIKIPEDIA) Pag sinabing homologous ibig sabihin meron silang peptide structure na magkakamukha (40% na magkakamukha) at ito ay ang HEXXH (ibig sabihin ay Histidine-Glutamic Acid- Any amino acid-Any amino acid-Histidine petide—ang “X” ay any amino acid). So magkamukha talaga sila , PERO,  may mga opinion na ang ACE inhibitor ay hindi maka inhibit ng ACE2. “Recombinantly expressed ACE2 was first reported to hydrolyse the His–Leu bond in Ang I to release Ang-(1–9). Ang-(1–9) was a substrate for ACE, which hydrolysed it to Ang-(1–7). Of note, ACE2 did not hydrolyse Ang-(1–9) to form Ang II. Subsequent to these initial characterizations it was found that ACE2 had substrate preference for Ang II, which it hydrolysed to Ang-(1–7) at a high rate.3 Indeed, ACE2 purified from human heart hydrolysed Ang II, but not Ang I.4 Thus, ACE2 should function to decrease Ang II concentration where it is present and active.” (WIKIPEDIA) So therefore, ang isa na naming opinion ngayon ay ang pag inom ng mga ACE  inhibitors ay hindi nakaka inhibit ng ACE2 enzymes ang therefore ay OK lang gamitin at hindi nakaka facilitate ng doorway ng Corona Virus 19.