Transition of studying on Shen deficiency syndrome and aging from holistic concept to systematic biologic viewpoint / 中国中西医结合杂志

ABSTRACT

Holistic concept is a characteristic contribution of Chinese medicine to medical science. Based on holistic concept, we investigated the correlation of Shenyang deficiency syndrome with the hypothalamus-pituitary-target gland axis; and revealed by gene chip technique the molecular network regulatory rule of intervention with Chinese drugs on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-thymus axis in aged rats as a model for Shen deficiency syndrome; also the two major gene regulation pathways, namely, the neuro-endocrine-immune pathway and the neuro-endocrine-bone metabolic pathway, in hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal, lymphocytes, kidney, liver, bone of aged rats, so as to advance the holistic research on Chinese medicine syndromes. Recently, based on the dynamic, intervention and multi-layer integration requirement of systematic biology, the common rule of aging was found at three different levels, the whole genomic transcription level, the metabolic level and the single ageing signaling pathway level. Meanwhile, it was demonstrated that the temporal and spatial association of genes will be weakened gradually along with aging. And Epimedium Flavonoids (EF), an extracts from Epimedium have been proved to be capable of effectively reversing both of these systemic changes. Thus, the transition of study from holistic concept to systematic biologic viewpoint could surely promote the progression of Chinese medicine to modern life science.