Pentoxifylline: A Drug with Antiviral and Anti-Inflammatory Effects to Be Considered in the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019

In December 2019, a new coronavirus, named severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged
from China, causing pneumonia outbreaks first in the Wuhan
region and has now spread worldwide. There are no specific
drugs for the disease caused by this virus, coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19). Considering that new synthesized
drugs cannot be applied immediately to patients, conventional
drug in new use is a feasible solution. Chloroquine,
remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir, ribavirin, and ritonavir have
shown efficacy to inhibit coronavirus in vitro. Pentoxifylline,
a drug with anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and
bronchodilatory effects, has previously been shown to inhibit
several viral infections. Immunological studies have
shown that most patients with severe COVID-19 exhibit substantially
elevated serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Pentoxifylline is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor that increases
the levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate,
which in turn activates protein kinase, leading to a reduction
in the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune
cell migration. Here, we propose pentoxifylline, a drug with
low cost and toxicity, as a possible treatment for COVID-19
based on its interesting properties.