[Role of mitophagy in diabetes mellitus and its complications and traditional Chinese medicine intervention: a review].

Diabetes mellitus(DM) is a chronic endocrine disease characterized by hyperglycemia caused by carbohydrate or lipid metabolism disorders or insulin dysfunction. Hyperglycemia and long-term metabolic disorders in DM can damage tissues and organs throughout the body, leading to serious complications. Mitochondrial autophagy(mitophagy) is an important mitochondrial quality control process in cells and a special autophagy phenomenon, in which damaged or redundant mitochondria can be selectively removed by autophagic lysosome, which is crucial to maintain cell stability and survival under stress. Studies have confirmed that changes in autophagy play a role in the development and control of DM and its complications. Mitophagy has become a research hotspot in recent years and it is closely associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. Substantial evidence suggests that mitophagy plays a crucial role in regulating the metabolic homeostasis in the case of DM and its complications. Because the destructive great vessel complications and microvascular complications cause increased mortality, blindness, renal failure, and declined quality of life of DM patients, it is urgent to develop targeted therapies to intervene in DM and its complications. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), with a multi-component, multi-target, and multi-level action manner, can prevent the development of drug resistance and have significant therapeutic effects in the prevention and treatment of DM and its complications. Therefore, exploring the mechanisms of TCM in regulating mito-phagy may become a new method for treating DM and its complications. With focus on the roles and mechanisms of mitophagy in DM and its complications, this paper summarizes and prospects the research on the treatment of DM and its complications with TCM via re-gulating mitophagy, aiming to provide new ideas for the clinical practice.

[Control Effect of Side Deep Fertilization with Slow-release Fertilizer on Ammonia Volatilization from Paddy Fields].

In order to reduce the ammonia volatilization in paddy fields, seven treatments were evaluated. These included three slow-release nitrogen fertilizers[sulfur-coated urea (SCU); resin-coated urea (RCU); release bulk blending fertilizer (RBB)], two fertilization modes[single base fertilization (B) and combined with panicle fertilizer (BF)], and conventional split fertilization (CN). The effects of side deep fertilization for slow-release nitrogen fertilizers on ammonia volatilization and surface water nitrogen dynamics were examined using a rice transplanter with a fertilizer sowing mechanism in the Taihu Lake region. The results showed that total nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen concentration in the surface water of the SCU treatment in the base period were higher, and those for RCU and RBB were lower than in the CN treatment. The cumulative ammonia volatilization during the whole rice season varied among different types of slow-release nitrogen fertilizers from 3.84% to 28.17% of the total N applied. The nitrogen loss from ammonia volatilization using the three slow-release nitrogen fertilizers was decreased when compared with conventional split fertilization. The ammonia volatilization loss exhibited the following relationship for the treatments:CN, B-SCU > BF-SCU, BF-RBB, BF-RCU, B-RBB, and B-RCU. When the slow-release nitrogen fertilizers were applied in single base fertilization, the total ammonia volatilization for the SCU was significantly higher than those for the RCU and RBB, while no significant differences were detected when these three slow-release fertilizers were combined with panicle fertilizer. Moreover, although the ammonia volatilization of BF-SCU was lower than that of B-SCU, those of BF-RCU and BF-RBB were higher than those with the B-RCU and B-RBB treatments, respectively. There are no significant differences for nitrogen volatilization when any of these three different fertilizers are applied as B or BF. The results for the emissions during ammonia volatilization during different stages indicated that the ammonia volatilization of SCU at the basal-tillering fertilization stage (7.54%) and the tillering-panicle fertilization stage (16.04%) were higher than those of the panicle fertilization-mature stage. The N loss from ammonia volatilization for RBB in the base-tillering fertilization stage (2.91%) increased more than in the tillering-panicle fertilization stage and panicle fertilization-mature stage. For RCU treatment, the highest rate for ammonia volatilization was detected at the panicle fertilization-mature stage (2.75%). Compared with the single base fertilization mode, ammonia volatilization during the panicle fertilization-mature stage was increased when combined with panicle fertilizer (BF) for the slow-release fertilizer. There was no obvious correlation between the N loss with ammonia volatilization for the three slow-release nitrogen fertilizers and the concentration of ammonium nitrogen in surface water during the panicle fertilization-mature stage.

[Effect of Straw Incorporation and Domestic Sewage Irrigation on Ammonia Volatilization from Paddy Fields].

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of straw returning and domestic sewage irrigation on the dynamics of NH4+-N concentration and pH in the flood water, and ammonia volatilization of paddy fields. The results showed that the NH4+-N concentration in flood water was significantly increased by wheat straw returning while significantly decreased by domestic sewage irrigation. The cumulative ammonia volatilization in the whole rice season under tap water irrigation and straw removal treatment was 58.29 kg·hm-2, accounting for 24.29% of the total N applied. The N loss ratio of ammonia volatilization was significantly increased to 45.66% by wheat straw returning, while significantly decreased to 17.26% under straw removal and 32.72% under straw returning by domestic sewage irrigation. Significant positive interaction was observed between straw incorporation and domestic sewage irrigation on ammonia volatilization loss. The average N loss from ammonia volatilization during the tillering stage was the highest among the three fertilization stages, accounting for 7.38%-24.44% of the total N applied. In addition, ammonia volatilization fluxes showed a significant positive correlation with the flood water NH4+-N concentration, irrespective of the irrigation water, but had no significant correlation with pH. These results indicated that straw returning increased ammonia volatilization losses, whereas domestic sewage irrigation could effectively reduce ammonia volatilization losses and simultaneously replace 44.41% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer by the N contained in the domestic sewage. The combination of domestic sewage irrigation and straw returning would be an ecological and environmental-friendly measure for rice nitrogen management in Taihu Lake region.

[Study on the association between DNA double-strand break repair gene NBS1 polymorphisms and susceptibility on lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between DNA double-strand break repair gene NBS1 (nijmegen breakage syndrome gene) polymorphisms and the susceptibility to lung cancer. METHODS: A case-control study design was applied. PCR-RFLP was used to identify NBS1 polymorphisms among 575 lung cancer cases and 575 controls. RESULTS: The frequencies of C/C, C/G and G/G genotypes at NBS1 rs1805794 site were 25.9%, 51.8%, 22.3% among controls compared to 20.5%, 52.3%, 27.1% among cases. There was significant difference between controls and cases (χ(2) = 6.38, P = 0.04). Individuals carrying C/G + G/G genotypes had an increased risk for lung cancer (OR = 1.46, 95%CI: 1.09 - 1.97) compared to the C/C genotype. The frequencies of G/G, G/C and C/C genotypes at NBS1 rs2735383 site were 37.9%, 47.0%, 15.1% among controls compared to 35.5%, 48.5%, 16.0% among cases, with no significant difference between the two groups (χ(2) = 0.75, P = 0.69). Individuals carrying Hap4-GC haplotype (OR = 1.70, 95%CI: 1.24 - 2.31) and Hap4/Hap2 dihaplotype (OR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.11 - 2.76) had an increased risk on lung cancer. Joint associations of smoking and the NBS1 polymorphism with the risk of lung cancer were observed (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The G/G genotype at NBS1 rs1805794 site and the Hap4-GC haplotype and Hap4/Hap2 di haplotype from rs1805794 and rs2735383 were both associated with lung cancer.