Cholinergic deficiency in the cholinergic system as a pathogenetic link in the formation of various syndromes in COVID-19

Abstract

According to recent data, several mechanisms of viral invasion of the central nervous system (CNS) have been proposed, one of which is both direct penetration of the virus through afferent nerve fibers and damage to the endothelium of cerebral vessels. It has been proven that the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects pathologically not only the human cardiorespiratory system but is also associated with a wide range of neurological diseases, cerebrovascular accidents, and neuromuscular pathologies. However, the observed post-COVID symptom complex in patients, manifested in the form of headache, “fog in the head,” high temperature, muscle weakness, lowering blood pressure, does it make us think about the pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to the development of this clinical picture? One possible explanation is a disruption in the signaling of the acetylcholine system (AChS) in the body. Viral invasions, and in particular COVID-19, can negatively affect the work of the AChS, disrupting its coordination activities. Therefore, the main goal of this literature review is to analyze the information and substantiate the possible mechanisms for the occurrence of post-COVID syndrome in people who have had COVID-19 from the standpoint of AChS dysfunctions.

Keywords

• acetylcholine
• brain
• covid-19
• heart
• pathophysiology
• post-covid syndrome
• signaling disorder
• synapse