基于“肾藏精”理论探讨衰老与骨关节炎的关系

Discussion on the Relationship between Aging and Osteoarthritis Based on the Theory of “Kidney Storing Essence”

中医认为人体生长壮老已的自然规律和筋肉骨髓的生长发育均与五脏中的肾密切相关。本文在探论肾藏精的生理功能的同时从中医基础理论和现代系统分子生物学角度对肾虚、衰老和骨关节炎三者之间的联系进行全新的阐释,肾通过调控骨组织局部微环境和骨代谢功能影响骨关节炎(Osteoarthritis,OA)的发生发展,提示肾虚精亏是骨关节炎发病的本源。肾虚是导致衰老的核心要素,而肾虚致衰在免疫和氧化应激方面参与OA病程进展,揭示肾虚致衰是骨关节炎发病的重要机制。骨关节炎是衰老的一种表征,关节软骨细胞衰老不仅是人体衰老代谢的产物,也是诱发OA的重要因素,近年研究证实清除衰老软骨细胞成为治疗OA热点。补肾强骨中药作为传统中医疗法应用于OA疾病防治,由于病情、体质之不同,效果虽存有差异,但均可得到改善。

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the natural laws of human growth and development of bone marrow are closely related to the kidneys in the five internal organs. Based on the exploration of the physiological functions of kidney storing essence, this article provides a new interpretation of the relationship between kidney deficiency, aging and osteoarthritis from the perspective of basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine and modern system molecular biology.Renal regulation of bone tissue local microenvironment and bone metabolism affect the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis(OA), suggesting that kidney deficiency is the origin of osteoarthritis. Kidney deficiency is the core factor leading to aging, and aging caused by kidney deficiency is involved in the progression of OA in immune and oxidative stress, revealing that kidney deficiency is an important mechanism of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a kind of aging. The aging of articular chondrocytes is not only a product of human aging metabolism, but also an important factor in inducing OA. In recent years, studies have confirmed that the removal of aging chondrocytes becomes a hot spot for treating OA.Traditional Chinese medicine with the function of tonifying the kidney and strengthening the bone is applied in the prevention and treatment of OA disease as traditional Chinese medicine therapy. Due to the differences in conditions and physical conditions, the therapeutic effects are different, but all of them can be improved.