Progress in the Study of the Relationship between Circadian Rhythm Disruption and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

CHEN Yanming¹, GONG Weikun², SUN Yingfen², ZHU Qiong², CAI Jie³, JIANG Jing⁴, JI Lindan^5,6*, XU Jin^1*

(¹Department of Preventive Medicine, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China; ²Yinzhou Hospital, Ningbo University Medicine, Ningbo 315040, China; ³Ningbo Women and Children Hospital, Ningbo 315012, China; ⁴Department of Clinical Medicine, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China; ⁵Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ningbo University School of Medicine, Ningbo 315211, China; ⁶Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology Technology Research, Ningbo 315211, China)

Abstract:

Circadian rhythm as an important inherent biological rhythm exists in all living organisms, facilitating them to adapt to the external light/dark environment. Recent studies reveal that both glucose metabolism and associated hormone secretion demonstrate obvious circadian rhythm patterns. Normally, it is synchronized with, sleep cycle, light pattern, food intake and daily exercise models. However, when there is a circadian rhythm disorder due to night shift work or jet lag caused by cross-time zone travel, etc., it may result in a series of healthy problems especially glucose metabolism disorder which can significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The mechanisms probably involve circadian variation and pathophysiological processes of glucose metabolism, hormone regulation, lifestyle, rhythm gene polymorphisms, drug metabolism, etc. This paper will systematically review the role of circadian rhythm in the occurrence and development of type 2 diabetes mellitus based on the current knowledge of associated epidemiological, pathophysiological and genetical studies, providing new ideas for future comprehensive prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2020.09.0023