| Correspondence between Man and Universe is the core of TCM theory. It has great influence on the following theories as Yin-Yang ,Five-Elements, State of viscera, Qi, Blood and Body Fluid et al.Especially on the theory about State of viscera, the theory of Correspondence between Man and Universe, binding with Five-Zang Organs, Six Fu Organs and the season, becomes the"Five-Zang proper to the season"theory with the character of TCM. At present, however, the study on the mechanism of how"Five-Zang proper to the season"functions on Five-Zang Organs is at the initial phase. As a result, how to employ modern science to establish the experimental study on"Five-Zang proper to the season", basing on the integrative thinking of Correspondence between Man and Universe, becomes the urgent problem.1. ObjectiveTaking the idea of"kidney corresponds with winter"in TCM as a breaking point to"Five-Zang proper to the season"theory, and taking the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis as the main part, we propose a feasible way to study on thyroid axis, which is closely related with renal essence, through deep analysis on its theory. Furthermore, we have performed the experimental research on the level of endocrine hormone and Cells signal transduction to prove their scientific and feasible value. Thus we suggest that there is a new direction and field for the study on the essence of Five-Zang.2. Methods2.1 Theoretical methods:The methods of documentary materials and logical analysis are used to explain and analyze the theoretical connotation of"Five-Zang proper to the season"and the overall regulatory control of neuroendocrine-immune network. The present paper puts forward a feasible way for the present study on the Zang-Xiang theory of TCM and discusses the breaking point to its experimental study.2.2 Experimental methods2.2.1 Overall designThe present experiment takes hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and pineal gland as the main clue.Taking the light-sensitive pineal body as the key point, the present sutdy selects G protein and receptors, which is of importance in the pathway of cell signal transduction, and endocrine hormone as the objects, the present author tries to oberve, with the changes of winter and summer,the changes in rats under physiological condition, changes of G protein, TSH receptor, T3, T4 , TSH, TRH, TRH Receptor mRNA of hypothalamic-pituitary- thyroid axis. Meanwhile, the regulation role of pineal gland at a high level during this process is also observed. 2.2.2 Experiment animalsSprague-Dawley rats (male), weighted 180-200 gram each, are randomly divided into three groups as controlled group, operation group, and false operation group. There are eight rats in every group.All rats will receive natural light, ate and drank freely, and will be controlled under certain room temperature(room temperature is 17℃±2℃at winter, and it is25℃±2℃at summer).One month before Winter Solstice and one month before Summer Solstice every year, the rats of operation group will ligate their arrow veins and remove their pineal glands,while the rats of false operation group will only ligate their arrow veins,but not have their pineal glands cut down,and the rats of controlled group will have no operation at all. All the rats will be raised till Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice, on that day at nine o'clock at night they will be beheaded.2.2.3 Test methodsTo assay the content of G protein and TSH receptor, Western Blot is engaged; to assay the content of TRH Receptor mRNA, RT-PCR is engaged; and to assay the content of T3, T4,TSH,TRH, radio-immunity is engaged.2.2.4 Analysis methodsImage analysis software of AlphaImager TM is engaged for G protein TSH receptor and TRH Receptor mRNA. All date will employ SAS 8.02 software to perform split-plot design analysis and receive q-test.3. Results3.1 Results of theoretical study(1) Melatonin plays a very important role in the theories of TCM. It forms the core to explain the integrative idea of the correspondence between Man and Universe. Meanwhile, it is also the key point in explaining the essence of Five-Zang in the study of"Five-Zang proper to the season". Melatonin is also the key point to study rhythem and to promote climate concerned therapy, thus the significance of melatonin in the theories of TCM cannot be replaced.(2) Neuroendocrine-Immune Network in modern medecine pays importance to the regulation of integrative functions of mechanisms, and this idea agrees with the integrative idea of correspondence between Man and Universe in TCM, therefore this idea embodies the mechanism of inter-promotion, inter-restriction,and interaction of Five-Zang in TCM. Neuroendocrine-Immune Network forms the material basis for the explanation of the interrelation among Five-Zang, as well as for each Zang.(3) To study Neuroendocrine-Immune Network (NEI), the present author makes"Five-Zang proper to season"as the theoretical basis, and chooses seasons as a variable factor, thus it garantees the physiological nature of the study of NEI and also embodies the integrative and special features of NEI. This study method agrees with the integrative idea of TCM, and it agrees with the idea of deducing the essence of Five-Zang from physiology as well.3.2 Results of experiments3.2.1 The effects of seasons (Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice) on hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis(1)blood serum endocrine hormone: T3(P<0.01), T4(P<0.05),TRH(P<0.05)in blood serum endocrine hormone are observed to have significant difference between winter and summer (they are higher in winter and lower in summer). However, there is not much difference in the contents of TSH.(2)on the level of receptor: the contrast about the contents of thyroid in TSH receptor shows that the contents is relatively higher in winter while lower in summer,(there is significant difference in the content, P<0.05).(3)on the level of genes: the contrast about the contents of pituitary in TRH Receptor mRNA shows that the contents is relatively higher in winter while lower in summer,(there is significant difference in the content, P<0.05).(4) thyroid axis G-protein: the contrast of hypothalamusGi and pituitaryGq in winter and summer: there are significant difference between winter and summer (they are higher in winter and lower in summer, P<0.05), However, there is not much difference in Gi and Gs of thyroid between winter and summer.3.2.2 The influence of operation on hypothalamic-pituitary- thyroid axis(1)blood serum endocrine hormone:there is significant difference in T4 between the controlled group in winter and the operation group in summer(P<0.05), while for the following data as T3,TSH,TRH, there is not much difference among the controlled group,operation group and false-operation group.(2)on the level of receptor: there is not much difference among the controlled group,operation group and false-operation group in the content of TSH.(3)on the level of genes: there is much difference between the controlled group and operation group in mRNA of TRH-Receptor.(4)thyroid axis G-protein: there is significant difference in Gi of hypothalamic and in Gs of thyroid between the controlled group and the operation group(P<0.05);there is much significant difference in Gq of pituitary between the controlled group in winter and the operation group in summer(P<0.05); the following data as Gi in thyroid, there is not much difference among the controlled group,operation group and false-operation group.3.2.3 corelation of operation and season(1)blood serum endocrine hormone: there is corelation between operation and season for the respective factor of blood serum as T3(P<0.05), T4(P<0.05),TSH(P<0.01)of SD rats. In another word, the difference of season alters with the degree of operation. There is no correlation between operation and season in TRH of blood serum.(2)on the level of receptor: there is no corelation between operation and season in the content of thyroid Tsh-Receptor of SD rats. (3)on the level of genes: there is no corelation between operation and season in the content of mRNA of pituitary TRH of SD rats.(4)thyroid axis G-protein: there is corelation between operation and season in the content of Gq of SD rats. There is no corelation between operation and season in the respective factor as Gi of hypothalamus, Gs and Gi of thyroid.4. Conclusions(1) There is close relationship between the modulating mechanism of"kidney proper to winter"and season.(2) There is close relationship between the modulating mechanism of"kidney proper to winter"and pineal gland.(3) It is feasible to study the essence of state of viscera in TCM from the point of"Five-Zang proper to season".(4) It is the present author who,for the first time, takes the changes of seasons as factors and takes hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis and pineal gland as the main clue to make a integerative and deeper study about the mechanism of cell signal transduction. It is also the present author who, for the first time, proves that the rule of"kidney proper to winter"of TCM is closely related with the irrigation of cell-signal transduction (under the integrative control of hypothalamic-pituitary- thyroid axis).(5) In present study, the author discovers that the result of removal of pineal gland will have antagonistic effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary- thyroid axis, which is influenced by the changes of seasons. In another word, melatonin has the feature of dualism on the thyroid axis, which is influenced by the changes of seasons. In addition, the present paper evaluates and analyzes the dualism on the level of cell- signal transduction. The significance of the present experiment lies in the new ideas it brought forth. |
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