Kidney theory of traditional Chinese medicine and stem cell research / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

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 P16INK4a. At the same time, classical Kidney-yang-nourishing herb formula You-gui-wan could inhibit ESC apoptosis induced by H2O2, up-regulate Notch expression and down-regulate P16INK4a 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.