MAPK p38/Ulk1 pathway inhibits autophagy and induces IL-1β expression in hepatic stellate cells.

In the past, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were considered to be noninflammatory cells and to contribute to liver fibrosis by producing extracellular matrix. Recently, it was found that HSCs can also secrete cytokines and chemokines and therefore participate in hepatic inflammation. Autophagy participates in many immune response processes in immune cells.

[Status of soil fertility, nutrient balance, and environmental risk assessment in yam production of North China Plain].

Taking the main production area of yam in North China Plain as the research area, we analyzed the status of soil fertility and fertilizer application in yam production through field investigation and tracking monitoring, examined soil nutrient balance using the input-output model of nutrients in agricultural system, and assessed the environmental risks in the yam planting system. The results showed that: 1) the contents of soil organic matter and total N were extremely low, and the contents of available P and available Zn were both low; both nitrate and available Cu contents were at the middle level, the contents of soil slowly available K, available S, and exchangeable Ca and Mg were all extremely high, the contents of available K, available Fe, and available Mn were all at high level; 2) The nitrogen (N), phosphorus (PO), and potassium (KO) inputs were 575-943 kg·hm, 341-981 kg·hm, and 655-1219 kg·hm during the whole growth period of yam, with chemical fertilizer accounting for 83.0%, 88.

Effects of long-term phosphorus application on crop yield, phosphorus absorption, and soil phosphorus accumulation in maize-wheat rotation system.

In this study, we examined the effects of four phosphorus treatments on crop yields, and analyzed crop phosphorus uptake and phosphorus utilization efficiency, as well as changes in soil phosphorus deficit in maize-wheat rotation system, based on a 7-year field experiment in Baoding City, Hebei Province. The results showed that long-term phosphorus application significantly increased the yield and phosphorus uptake of maize and wheat. The yield and phosphorus uptake of maize and wheat showed a parabolic trend that first increased and then decreased with the increases of phosphorus application.

[Effects of ecological factors on shape and ginsenoside of Panax ginseng].

The ecological environment is closely related to the growth and quality of authentic medicinal materials. Ginseng is very strict with its natural environment and grows mostly in the damp valleys of forests, and the appearance and chemical composition of ginseng under different growth environments are very different. This article reviews the effects of different ecological factors(including light, temperature, altitude, moisture, soil factors, etc.

POSTN promotes diabetic vascular calcification by interfering with autophagic flux.

Autophagy is a lysosomal degradative process that is closely related to the pathogenesis of vascular calcification. Recent evidence suggests that periostin (POSTN) is a unique extracellular matrix protein that is associated with diabetic vascular complications. The aim of current study is to investigate the role of POSTN in diabetic vascular calcification and the underlying mechanisms.

Overview of bile acid signaling in the cardiovascular system.

Bile acids (BAs) are classically known to play a vital role in the metabolism of lipids and in absorption. It is now well established that BAs act as signaling molecules, activating different receptors (such as farnesoid X receptor, vitamin D receptor, Takeda G-protein-coupled receptor 5, sphingosine-1-phosphate, muscarinic receptors, and big potassium channels) and participating in the regulation of energy homeostasis and lipid and glucose metabolism. In addition, increased BAs can impair cardiovascular function in liver cirrhosis.

Metformin attenuates hyperlipidaemia-associated vascular calcification through anti-ferroptotic effects.

Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death that involves metabolic dysfunction resulting from iron-dependent excessive lipid peroxidation. Elevated plasma levels of free fatty acids are tightly associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with obesity, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. Metformin (Met) is an antidiabetic drug with beneficial cardiovascular disease effects.

PDK4 promotes vascular calcification by interfering with autophagic activity and metabolic reprogramming.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) is an important mitochondrial matrix enzyme in cellular energy regulation. Previous studies suggested that PDK4 is increased in the calcified vessels of patients with atherosclerosis and is closely associated with mitochondrial function, but the precise regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study aims to investigate the role of PDK4 in vascular calcification and the molecular mechanisms involved.

[Cultivation strategy on cluster brand of ecological agriculture of Dao-di herbs].

The cluster brand is the embodiment of the core competitiveness of an industry. Developing and cultivating cluster brand of ecological agriculture of Dao-di herbs not only helps to optimize the value chain of the Chinese medicinal materials(CMMs) industry cluster, realize the value-added of the CMMs industry cluster, but also enhance the visibility and influence of the industrial cluster, enhance the core competitiveness of the industrial cluster. This has important practical significance for promoting the "orderly" "safe" and "effective" development of the Dao-di herbs.

Lactate accelerates vascular calcification through NR4A1-regulated mitochondrial fission and BNIP3-related mitophagy.

Arterial media calcification is related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Protective mitophagy delays the progression of vascular calcification. We previously reported that lactate accelerates osteoblastic phenotype transition of VSMC through BNIP3-mediated mitophagy suppression.

[Amelioration effect of humic acid on saline-alkali soil].

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of three types of humic acid, i.e. oxidized humic acid (OHA), aminated humic acid (AHA) and microbial-humic acid (MHA), on physico-chemical properties of saline-alkali soil and maize growth.

Lactate accelerates calcification in VSMCs through suppression of BNIP3-mediated mitophagy.

Arterial media calcification is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus, which is related to oxidative stress and apoptosis. Mitophagy is a special regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis and takes control of intracellular ROS generation and apoptotic pathways. High circulating levels of lactate usually accompanies diabetes.

Impact of smoking on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in patients after coronary revascularization with a percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Although cigarette smoking is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, inconsistent results have been published in the literature on its impacts on the cardiovascular health of patients after coronary revascularization with a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). We performed a comprehensive electronic database search through July 2018. Studies reporting the risk estimates of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in patients after coronary revascularization with PCI or CABG on the basis of smoking status were selected.

Effects of yam/leguminous crops intercropping on soil chemical and biological properties of yam field.

We investigated the effects of yam/leguminous crops intercropping on soil chemical and biological properties as well as soil comprehensive fertility in a field experiment. Results showed that compared with the monoculture, both yam/alfalfa and yam/clover intercropping increased the concentrations of nitrate nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P) and available potassium (K) in the 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm soil layers, while reduced soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in early growth period and rhizome rapid expansion period of yam. Intercropping with leguminous crops enhanced the activities of urease, alkaline phosphatase and catalase, and also enhanced soil basal respiration in the 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm soil layers during the whole growth period of yam.

Exosomes Derived From Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Pretreated With Advanced Glycation End Product-Bovine Serum Albumin Inhibit Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.

The osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMCs) is important for the development of vascular calcification (VC), particularly in diabetes. Exosomes derived from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) are effective against cardiovascular diseases, yet their role in VC remains unclear. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) inhibit bone marrow stromal cell osteogenesis by targeting osteogenesis-associated genes.

Advanced glycation end products accelerate calcification in VSMCs through HIF-1α/PDK4 activation and suppress glucose metabolism.

Arterial media calcification is associated with diabetes mellitus. Previous studies have shown that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are responsible for vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) calcification, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), one of the major factors during hypoxia, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4), an important mitochondrial matrix enzyme in cellular metabolism shift, have been reported in VSMC calcification.

[Characteristics of soil nitrate accumulation and leaching under different long-term nitrogen application rates in winter wheat and summer maize rotation system.].

Winter wheat and summer maize were the main crops in the North China Plain. While intensive farming system could generally achieve high yield, the perennial large amounts of nitrogen (N) fertilization application cause environmental problems including NO-N accumulation and leaching at deep soil layer. Here, the effects of different N application rates on soil NO-N accumulation and leaching in winter wheat-summer maize cropping system were investigated from 2010 to 2016 at Qingyuan County, Hebei Province, China.

Restoring mitochondrial biogenesis with metformin attenuates β-GP-induced phenotypic transformation of VSMCs into an osteogenic phenotype via inhibition of PDK4/oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis.

Mitochondrial abnormalities have long been observed in the development of vascular calcification. Metformin, a member of the biguanide class of antidiabetic drugs, has recently received attention owing to new findings regarding its protective role in cardiovascular disease. Since the precise control of mitochondrial quantity and quality is critical for the survival and function of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis may be a potential protective factor for VSMCs against osteoblast-like phenotypic transition.

Association of genetic polymorphisms in vascular endothelial growth factor with susceptibility to coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene may be correlated with the susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD) - although results have been controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis is to clarify the effects of VEGF -2578A/C (rs699947), -1154G/A (rs1570360), +405C/G (rs2010963), and + 936C/T (rs3025039) polymorphisms on CAD risk.

Methods: Pooled odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the strength of the association between VEGF gene polymorphisms and CAD risk.

Associations between gene polymorphisms and coronary artery disease: evidence based on an updated and cumulative meta-analysis.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is widely linked to lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, but its effects on coronary artery disease (CAD) are not clearly elucidated. The aim of this study was to clarify the association between gene polymorphisms and CAD susceptibility. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to estimate the strength of the relationship between gene polymorphisms and CAD risk.

Comparative efficacy of pharmacological interventions for contrast-induced nephropathy prevention after coronary angiography: a network meta-analysis from randomized trials.

Background: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is the major complication related to contrast media administration in patients after coronary angiography (CAG). However, inconsistent results have been published in the literature regarding the effects of pharmacological drugs on CIN prevention. We conducted a network meta-analysis to evaluate the relative efficacy of pharmacological interventions for the prevention of CIN.

Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine promotes calcium deposition in VSMCs via intracellular oxidative stress-induced PDK4 activation and alters glucose metabolism.

Diabetes and vascular calcification are intrinsically linked. We previously reported that advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accelerate calcium deposition in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) via excessive oxidative stress. However, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood.

Harvesting more grain zinc of wheat for human health.

Increasing grain zinc (Zn) concentration of cereals for minimizing Zn malnutrition in two billion people represents an important global humanitarian challenge. Grain Zn in field-grown wheat at the global scale ranges from 20.4 to 30.

Association of RAGE gene Gly82Ser polymorphism with coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The receptor for advanced glycosylation end products (RAGE) has been widely linked to diabetic atherosclerosis, but its effects on coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischemic stroke (IS) remain controversial. The Gly82Ser polymorphism is located in the ligand-binding V domain of RAGE, suggesting a possible influence of this variant on RAGE function. The aim of the present study is to clarify the association between the RAGE Gly82Ser polymorphism and susceptibility to CAD and IS.