Possible Role of Antihypertensive Drugs in Blocking the Host Receptor Angiotensin-converting Enzyme 2 among Patients of COVID-19

Introduction: In the recent past, viral diseases are being reported with associated comorbidities and role of these and their specific drugs remain poorly understood in influencing the disease severity. SARS-CoV-2 is one such viral disease which reported many associated complications, the main one being hypertension. The receptor which the SARS-CoV-2 utilises for binding to the lung epithelium is angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which is also one of the components of the pathway involved in the regulation of blood pressure, i.e., the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. The present study aimed to understand the role of antihypertensive drugs for clinical progress of COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: There are many drugs available in the market for regulation of blood pressure of which two were taken for the study owing to the fact that they have an affinity for lung epithelial proteins. Results: The ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) were searched, and docking studies were performed to check scores and contact residues. Telmisartan, an ARB drug, showed the highest binding affinity. Thirty-three per cent of ARB drugs and 66% of ACEIs showed binding affinity of the range −9.1 to −4.8. Conclusion: The observations reported may be useful during the course of treatment of SARS-CoV-2 patients who are under treatment of antihypertensive drugs. We report the possible protective role of ACEI and ARB drugs in contributing to the recovery of patients.