中医肾理论与干细胞研究(英文)

Kidney theory of traditional Chinese medicine and stem cell research

肾在祖国医学中具有重要的地位,认为肾为先天之本、肾主藏精,其精气促进人体的生殖、生长和发育,是人体生命活动的原动力。现代医学与生命科学研究已明确证实人体的发育始于受精卵,而受精卵本身就是一种全能干细胞;受精卵以及随后形成的胚胎干细胞、干细胞体系构成机体生长发育与组织修复的源泉。因此,可以从中医肾的角度理解胚胎干细胞,观察补肾对胚胎干细胞增殖、衰老、凋亡等基本生命活动的影响与干预,以及补肾对胚胎干细胞功能的关键决定基因在转录、表达及功能方面的调节。本课题组初步研究提示补肾阴经典方剂左归丸在体外可以一定程度抑制干细胞的分化和凋亡,促进干细胞增殖及细胞周期的进程,同时还可以促进干细胞Wnt、Oct4等基因的表达,下调P16INK4a基因的表达;补肾阳经典方剂右归丸可以在一定程度上抑制H2O2诱导干细胞凋亡,并可以促进干细胞Notch基因表达,抑制P16INK4a基因表达。此外,尚有研究指出补肾可以促进骨髓间充质干细胞增殖。提示中医肾理论特别是肾为先天之本理论与胚胎干细胞、干细胞有着内在的联系,开展相关研究将有可能深化中医肾本质以及扩大干细胞应用成果。

Kidney theory is an important figure in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）, it proposes that the kidney is the root of life, in which stores congenital essence and energy of human body that promotes reproduction, growth and development. The facts that body development begins from oosperm have long been elucidated in modern medicine and life science. Furthermore, oosperm is a totipotent stem cell. The totipotent stem cell with its derived embryonic stem cell （ESC） and stem cell constitute the source of growth, development and tissue regeneration. It is rational to comprehend ESC by means of the Kidney theory of TCM, investigate the effect of Kidney-nourishing on the activities of ESC, such as proliferation, aging and apoptosis, and on its related genes regarding transcription, expression and functional regulation. Our works have suggested that classical Kidney-yin-nourishing herb formula Zuo-gui-wan could inhibit the ESC differentiation and apoptosis, stimulate proliferation, and promote the process of cell cycle. These observations coincide with up-regulate expression of Wnt and Oct3/4, and down-regulate expression of P16^INK4a. At the same time, classical Kidney-yang-nourishing herb formula You-gui-wan could inhibit ESC apoptosis induced by H202, up-regulate Notch expression and down-regulate P1^INK4a expression. In addition, there have been some evidences indicated Kidney-nourishing could promote mesenchymal stem cells proliferate. These observations strongly suggest that, Kidney theory of TCM, as the root of the life, is associated with ESC and stem cell; it may provide insight into Kidney theory of TCM and stem cell research.