| "Five-Zang proper to the season"is the important content of"Correspondence between Man and Universe"of TCM theory, which means man and nature is an integrated whole. The changes of seasonal climate and geographic environments have indispensable influence on man. How man adapts to nature to maintain the balance of physiological function is the important content of"Five-Zang proper to the season". Recently, seasonal rhythm influencing on man's physiology and pathology becomes an interesting direction for many researchers. Studying on the seasonal climate influencing on physiological function is of great importance to clinical diagnosis, theory and preventing diseases.1ObjectiveTaking the idea of"lung correspondence to autumn"in TCM as a breaking point to"Five-Zang proper to the season"theory, we discuss the seasonal characteristics of lung function and the modulation mechanism of lung from the point of immunity, which can enrich the connotation of lung Zang-Xiang theory.2Methods2.1Theoretical methodsThe methods of the documentary materials and logical analysis were used to explain and analyze the seasonal climate influence on physiology and pathology and the role of pineal gland on the physiological mechanism of"lung correspondence to autumn". It showed that"Zang Fu proper to nature"had theoretical basis, and enriched the theoretical connotation of"Five-Zang proper to the season".2.2Experimental methods2.2.1Experimental animalsTwenty-four Wistar male rats, weighted 150-170g,brought from Beijing Weitong Lihua animal study center forty days before vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox and winter solstice, were randomly divided into three groups: normal group,fake group and operation group( pinealectomy group).There were eight rats in every group. All rats received natural light, ate and drank freely, and were controlled under certain room temperature was 170C±20C in winter and spring, and it was 250C±20C in summer and autumn. Fake group and operation group are operated a month before vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox and winter solstice. All the rats would be raised till vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox and winter solstice, on thhese days at 8 o'clock at night, theywould be beheaded.2.2.2 Test methodsTo assay the contents of IL-2,IL-6,IL-10,IFN-γ,sIgA and SP-A in BALF fluid, ELISA was engaged; to assay phagocytic function of alveolar macrophage in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, chick erythrocytes phagocytosed was engaged; to assay T lymphocyte transl- ation rate of spleen, MTT was engaged; to assay T lymphocyte subsets in perpheral blood, flow cytometry was engaged,and to assay the contents of serum IgM, melatonin in serum and lung, ELISA was engaged.2.2.3 Analysis method:All the data were showed by mean±standard error. The differences of groups were tested by SPSS 11.0. The values were calculated with Duncan's multiple range test or Student's test. P< 0.05 meant obvious difference.3Results3.1 Results of theoretical study3.1.1Four seasonal climates had important influence on man's physiology and pathology, but man could positivly adapt to nature to maintain the balance of physiological function.3.1.2 Pineal gland and melatonin had chronobiology, neuroendocrine and immune bases in this research. Thus the significant of pineal gland in the theories of"Five-Zang proper to the season"could not be replaced.3.2 Results of experiments3.2.1 The immune materials of lung in normal group were higher in spring and summer and lower in autumn and winter. To specific immunity, the contents of IL-2 and sIgA in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in autumn was significantly lower than those in spring and summe(rP<0.01);the content of IL-10 was significantly lower than that in spring(P<0.05); the content of IFN-γwas significantly lower than those in spring and summer(P<0.05)。In winter, the content of IL-2 was significantly lower than those in spring (P<0.01) and in summer (P<0.05); the content of IL-6 was significantly lower than those in spring, summer (P<0.01) and autumn(P<0.05); the content of IL-10 was significantly lower than that in spring (P<0.05); the contents of IFN-γand sIgA were significantly lower than those in springand in summer (P<0.05). To nonspecific immunity, phagocytic function of alveolar macrophage and the content of SP-A in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid don't change much, there was no statisical significane in four seasons, but there have the tendency of the higher in spring and autumn and the lower in autumn and winter. Apart from phagocytic function of alveolar macrophage.When the number of immune materials are the highest in spring, there were the lowest in autumn; when the number of immune materials are the highest in autumn, there are the lowest in winter.3.2.2 Index of thymus and spleen were high in spring and summer and low in autumn and winter. The index in winter were significant lower than those in spring. To cellular immun- eity, T lymphocyte translation rate of spleen and CD3+,CD8+ in perpheral blood had the tendency of high in winter and summer and low in spring and autumn, but CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in perpheral blood had reverse trend.3.2.3 Melatonin in serum and lung had the tendency of high in spring and winter and low in autumn and autumn. To lung immunity, pineal gland has immunoenhancement effect in spring, summer and winter, and immunosuppression effect in autumn. To the whole immunity, pineal gland also had immunoenhancement effect on immune organs and humor- al immunity, but had immunosuppression effect on cellular immunity.3.2.4 There had the correlation between melatonin and some of the immune materials of lung and the whole organism, melatonin in serum and lung were obvious correlation in spring. The correlation between melatonin in serum and immune materials of lung and the whole organism had distinctness than that melatonin in lung.4 Conclusions4.1 The immune modulation function of"lung correspondence to autumn"had alterable trends with the season. The lung and body immunity function were the lower in autumn.4.2 The immune modulation mechanism of"lung correspondence to autumn"had colsely related to gland pineal. Pineal gland was one of the important medium in studying on mechanism of"lung correspondence to autumn". It also had selectivity and complexity of modulate to lung and body.4.3 One of theoretical connotations of"lung correspondence to autumn"was that the lung functions of dispersing and descending adapt to seasonal changes to modulate immunity. The theory of""lung correspondence to autumn"had immune basis.
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