ABSTRACT
The aim of the present manuscript is to discuss on potential pros and cons of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) as glucose-lowering agents during COVID-19 pandemic, and what is more to evaluate them as potential candidates for the treatment of patients, affected by COVID-19 infection, with or even without diabetes mellitus type 2. Besides being important glucose-lowering agents, GLP-1RAs pose promising anti-inflammatory and anti-obesogenic properties, pulmonary protective effects, as well as beneficial impact on gut microbiome composition. Hence, taking everything previously mentioned into consideration, GLP-1RAs seem to be potential candidates for the treatment of patients, affected by COVID-19 infection, with or even without type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as excellent antidiabetic (glucose-lowering) agents during COVID-19 pandemic times.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Drug Treatment , COVID-19 , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor/agonists , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Obesity , COVID-19/epidemiology , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism , Drug Repositioning/methods , Humans , Obesity/drug therapy , Obesity/metabolism , Protective Agents/pharmacology , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Legionella longbeachae, a causative agent of Legionnaire's disease, has often been associated with potting soil and gardening, a feature quite distinct from other Legionella species. The precise transmission mechanism is still unknown, although due to the ecological coherence of the soil and water there is a potential risk of infection by contaminated stagnant water in the garden. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore the ability of L. longbeachae to survive in stagnant tap water usually used for watering in gardens. The influence of different factors (temperature, pH and NaCl concentration) on L. longbeachae survival in stagnant tap water was also tested. RESULTS: The result showed that L. longbeachae is viable in stagnant tap water over 100 days at 4 °C and 25 °C. The survival of L. longbeachae exposed to different pH and NaCl concentration suggests resistance to low pH values (pH2 and pH5) and all tested NaCl concentrations at temperatures lower than 25 °C. The ability of L. longbeachae to persist in stagnant tap water should be taken seriously in the risk assessments as a possible hidden reservoir of infection.
