Rhabdomyolysis after infection and taking a cold medicine in a patient who was susceptible to malignant hyperthermia

Beneficial effects of dantrolene in the treatment of rhabdomyolysis as a potential late complication associated with COVID-19: a case report

Background

Patients with severe COVID-19 have disorders of the respiratory, cardiovascular, coagulation, skeletal muscle, and central nervous systems. These systemic failures may be associated with cytokine release syndrome, characterized by hyperpyrexia, thrombocytopenia, hyperferritinemia, and the elevation of other inflammatory markers. Rhabdomyolysis with high fever is a complication that is rarely found in COVID-19. The exact relations of these clinical conditions in patients with COVID-19 remain unknown.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 36-year-old man with severe COVID-19 complicated by rhabdomyolysis and high fever. After admission, his condition continued to deteriorate, with a high body temperature. On day 9, the patient had elevated creatine kinase and myoglobin levels consistent with rhabdomyolysis (26,046 U/L and 3668 ng/mL, respectively). In addition to viral therapy, he was immediately treated with hydration. However, the patient had persistent fever and elevated creatine kinase levels. The patient was diagnosed with malignant hyperthermia as a late complication of COVID-19, although he had no hereditary predisposition to malignant hyperthermia or neuroleptic malignant syndrome. The administration of dantrolene with muscle relaxation and anti-inflammatory function showed potential efficacy for rhabdomyolysis, high fever, and increased plasma inflammatory markers.

Conclusions

Malignant hyperthermia is triggered by not only anesthetic agents but also viral infections. A possible mechanism of malignant hyperthermia is hypersensitivity of calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These include mutations in or the activation of the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor calcium release channel. Dantrolene is a ryanodine receptor antagonist and is used as an anti-inflammatory agent. The administration of dantrolene showed potential efficacy for rhabdomyolysis, high body temperature due to inflammation, and increased inflammatory markers. The underlying mechanism of the association of rhabdomyolysis and high fever in COVID-19 might be similar to the pathogenesis of malignant hyperthermia.

A substrate pharmacophore for the human organic cation/carnitine transporter identifies compounds associated with rhabdomyolysis

The human organic cation/carnitine transporter (hOCTN2) is a high affinity cation/carnitine transporter expressed widely in human tissues and is physiologically important for the homeostasis of L-carnitine. The objective of this study was to elucidate the substrate requirements of this transporter via computational modeling based on published in vitro data. Nine published substrates of hOCTN2 were used to create a common feature pharmacophore that was validated by mapping other known OCTN2 substrates. The pharmacophore was used to search a drug database and retrieved molecules that were then used as search queries in PubMed for instances of a side effect (rhabdomyolysis) associated with interference with L-carnitine transport. The substrate pharmacophore was composed of two hydrogen bond acceptors, a positive ionizable feature and ten excluded volumes. The substrate pharmacophore also mapped 6 out of 7 known substrate molecules used as a test set. After searching a database of ~800 known drugs, thirty drugs were predicted to map to the substrate pharmacophore with L-carnitine shape restriction. At least 16 of these molecules had case reports documenting an association with rhabdomyolysis and represent a set for prioritizing for future testing as OCTN2 substrates or inhibitors. This computational OCTN2 substrate pharmacophore derived from published data partially overlaps a previous OCTN2 inhibitor pharmacophore and is also able to select compounds that demonstrate rhabdomyolysis, further confirming the possible linkage between this side effect and hOCTN2.

Rhabdomyolysis: a review

Rhabdomyolysis, a syndrome of skeletal muscle breakdown with leakage of muscle contents, is frequently accompanied by myoglobinuria, and if sufficiently severe, acute renal failure with potentially life-threatening metabolic derangements may ensue. A diverse spectrum of inherited and acquired disorders affecting muscle membranes, membrane ion channels, and muscle energy supply causes rhabdomyolysis. Common final pathophysiological mechanisms among these causes of rhabdomyolysis include an uncontrolled rise in free intracellular calcium and activation of calcium-dependent proteases, which lead to destruction of myofibrils and lysosomal digestion of muscle fiber contents. Recent advances in molecular genetics and muscle enzyme histochemistry may enable a specific metabolic diagnosis in many patients with idiopathic recurrent rhabdomyolysis.

Myoglobinuria

Myoglobinuria refers to an abnormal pathologic state in which an excessive amount of myoglobin is found in the urine, imparting a cola-like hue, usually in association with myonecrosis and a clinical picture of weakness, myalgias, and edema. Myoglobinuria is produced by multiple causes: any condition that accelerates the use or interferes with the availability of oxygen or energy substrates to muscle cells can result in myoglobinuria, as can events that produce direct muscle injury, either mechanical or chemical. Acute renal failure is the most serious complication, which can be prevented by prompt, aggressive treatment. In patients surviving acute attacks, recovery of muscle and renal function is usually complete.