Investigation of the effect of some boron compounds on transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), which has a role in COVİD-19 cell entry, in lung fibroblast cells

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of boron citrate and boron malate on TMPRSS2, which has an important role in cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 at the gene level, on the MRC-5 lung fibroblast cell line, and its effects on the anti-inflammatory pathway. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxic effect of boron compounds on the MRC-5 cell line was measured by the 3-4,5-dimethyl-thiazolyl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] method. Tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α] was used to stimulate cells and gene expression levels were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction [RT-PCR]. The obtained data were evaluated using Microsoft Excel program. Results: No negative or toxic effects of boron compounds were observed on normal healthy fibroblast cell line MRC-5 cells in any of the concentrations used in the MTT analysis. Boron citrate and Bor malate inhibited TMPRSS2. While boron malate inhibited ACE2, there was no significant change in boron citrate administration. Boron citrate and boron malate compounds were found to inhibit both CatS and CatB gene levels in TNF-α-induced cells. It was observed that boron citrate and boron malate compounds inhibited IL-1𝛽 and IL-1𝛼 gene expression levels and increased IL-6 gene expression levels. Boron malate and boron citrate were found to increase NFκB-p50 expression but decrease NFκB-p65, IκB gene expression levels. Discussion: It is understood that boron malate may be more effective than boron citrate in inhibiting S protein-mediated cell fusion. It is recommended to evaluate the potential of the ACE2 inhibitor with new studies. Boron malate and boron citrate were thought to be potential agents in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.