- Zn2+ may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the lungs of those with pneumonia
- In a study done on rats, those that were lacking zinc ended up have increased expression of proinflammatory receptors, resulting in lung damage
- Hyperoxia can be regulated to prevent lung injury though the zinc and nitric oxide pathways
- Zn can lower neutrophil count in the lowering the chances of acute lung injury
- Zn inhibited phagocyte action
- Zinc can prevent bronchiolitis, bronchitis, and pneumonitis in children
- Patients with sepsis have low serum Zn concentration, increasing cytokine production and the likelihood of inflammation

Zn and lung tissue

- Zinc helps regulate the immune system
- Zn2+ can serve as an antiviral agent 
- Zn2+ inhibits the replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus
- Chloroquine allows Zn2+ ions to enter the cell
- When Zn2+ is used in alcoholics, after being released from papain-like protease in SARS-CoV, it results in the adverse effect of protein damage
- Zn2+ aids WBCs in interferon production 
- At doses greater than 75 mg each day, zinc (particularly zinc acetate) was shown to increase recovery in those with a cold
- Children presenting with RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) pneumonia has low levels of zinc
- Zn prevents RSV from replicating
- Zn2+ may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the lungs of those with pneumonia


Michigan State University

- The S-protein aids SARS-CoV-2 to bind to ACE2 receptor on the pneumocyte
- The virus is then taken in through endocytosis into the cytoplasm where the RNA of virus is released
- Zn2+ is replicated and then transcribed in the pneumocyte
- Virions then exit the pneumocyte through exocytosis
- Lack of Zn results in the secretion of perforin, which attacks the virus as well (seen in lymphocyte)
- Zinc activates the receptors present on the cell membrane (CD25 and CD69) and other T cells receptors
- Zn2+ causes the thymus gland to secrete thymulin
- Thymulin leads to the increase in T-cell action to fight the virus 
- The alveolar macrophage Zn can break down the virus with enzymes present in the phagolysosome
- Processed Ag will then be presented by the MHC

Action of Zinc and the SARS-CoV-2 Virus

Skalny, A. V., Rink, L., Ajsuvakova, O. P., Aschner, M., Gritsenko, V. A., Alekseenko, S. I., ... & Tsatsakis, A. (2020). Zinc and respiratory tract infections: Perspectives for COVID‑19. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 46(1), 17-26.

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