The spike protein and nicotinic receptors

https://www.jbc.org/article/S0021-9258(23)01735-0/fulltext

This paper is fresh off the press in May 2023. A few of you mentioned the use of nicotine treatment in the venom peptide post a few days ago. Here is more information on that. Now keep in mind, the NIH funded this study. So you have to take that into consideration. Independent tudies have shown that the use of nicotine patches, lozenges, and gum to treat covid and reduce severity have been successful. This paper attempts to debunk that. Remember…….NIH funded……….

The first paragraph of the paper however supports the venom peptide issue we discussed a few days ago, and even takes it a step further:

“The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) trimeric spike glycoprotein targets host angiotensin converting enzyme 2 to gain cellular access. The SARS-CoV-2 glycoprotein contains a neurotoxin-like region that has sequence similarities to the rabies virus and the HIV glycoproteins, as well as to snake neurotoxins, which interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes via this region. These nAChR subtypes are found in target tissues including the nose, lung, central nervous system, and immune cells. Importantly, SCoV2P potentiates and inhibits ACh-induced nAChR responses by an allosteric mechanism, with nicotine enhancing these effects.

What does this mean? This study is trying to state that people who use nicotine cannot prevent cytokine storm as effectively as non-tobacco users and can have a massive inflammatory response due to the covid virus. The “health implications” upon the “billions” of tobacco users globally is “profound”. The findings in this paper were this: “Nicotine pretreatment (already use nicotine prior to catching the rona) enhances SCoV2P and SCoV2ED modulation of α7 nAChR responses resulting in enhanced potentiation via a mechanism that resensitizes nicotine desensitized receptors. This conclusion has potentially large epidemiological consequences as there are 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide according to the World Health Organization. This raises the concern that physiological processes modulated by α7 nAChRs, such as the immune system and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory response, may be further compromised in tobacco users who are infected with SARS-CoV-2.”

However.

Other studies have shown the opposite to be true. One commenter provided a great link on the June 4th post. So ignoring the hogwash of the use of nicotine not being effective, and the “grave danger” to the tobacco users of the world………focus on the first paragraph. The bold part. The part where they admit the nasty glycoprotein sequences. The NIH doesn’t want people to use nicotine period, so they would not come out and admit that it is helpful. Also, I cannot say that I have seen a higher incidence of covid deaths in tobacco users; in fact, those I know that died of covid did not use nicotine at all. The more you know. Fun additional factoid of the day: nicotine isn’t the part of tobacco that causes bad things like cancer. In fact, nicotine has been shown to be helpful in prevention of Parkinson’s Disease, a neurodegenerative disease, and connecting the dots that covid spike protein has neurotoxic properties, the use of nicotine could be helpful. But the NIH does not really want people to get better. That isn’t the agenda. Also……not to beat this dead horse…..but Dr. Ardis did mention the use of nicotine as a treatment in his body of work that discussed the snake venom peptides. This paper smells like an attempt to get out ahead of that narrative and debunk him and his findings. They admit the venom peptides, but nah, don’t use nicotine to treat them.