Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome is a common geriatric disease that underlies chronic conditions such as diabetic nephropathy, chronic kidney disease, and osteoporosis. As age progresses, the kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome showcases increasingly pronounced manifestations, emerging as a key factor in the comorbidities experienced by elderly patients and affecting their quality of life and overall health status. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has been extensively utilized in the treatment of kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome, with Epimedii Folium, Cinnamomi Cortex, and Lycii Fructus widely used in clinical settings. Despite the complexity of the molecular mechanisms involved in treating kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome, the potential therapeutic value of TCM remains compelling. Delving into the mechanisms of TCM treatment of kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome by regulating the neuro-endocrine-immune system can provide a scientific basis for targeted treatments of this syndrome and lay a foundation for the modernization of TCM. The pathophysiology of kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome involves multiple systems, including the interaction of the neuro-endocrine-immune system, the decline in renal function, the intensification of oxidative stress responses, and energy metabolism disorders. Understanding these mechanisms and their interrelationships can help untangle the etiology of kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome, aiding clinicians in making more precise diagnoses and treatments. Furthermore, the research on the specific applications of TCM in research on these pathological mechanisms can enhance the international recognition and status of TCM, enabling it to exert a greater global influence.
Humans ; Yang Deficiency/physiopathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Kidney Diseases/physiopathology* ; Neurosecretory Systems/physiopathology* ; Animals ; Kidney/physiopathology* ; Endocrine System/physiopathology* ; Immune System/physiopathology*

Severe sepsis provokes significant abnormalities in host neuroendocrine system, and they are hallmarked by the glucocorticoid and growth hormone resistance, vasopressin deficiency, and compromised vagal activity. As a consequence, the increased stress hormones result in a hyperdynamic circulation, hypermetabolic state, and the hyperglycemia/insulin resistance in sepsis. The cardiac autonomic dysfunction also occurs as a consequence of depressed vagal activity. Current therapeutic strategies include insulin therapy to control hyperglycemia, physiologic doses of corticosteroids to improve immunity, growth hormone to reverse negative nitrogen balance, and vasopressin to raise blood pressure. Non-specific beta-adrenergic blockade has also been attempted to either attenuate the hypermetabolism or to reduce the inflammatory response. Future therapy may be directed at both central and peripheral immune system so as to alleviate the hyperdynamic inflammatory state and possibly encephalopathy in severe sepsis.
Autonomic Nervous System ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Neurosecretory Systems ; physiopathology ; Sepsis ; physiopathology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the changes of vascular endothelial functions and general neuro-endocrine-immunity (NEI) network under the state of qi-deficiency syndrome induced by excessive idleness and to approach their internal relevance and illuminate initially the pathophysiological mechanism of vascular lesion induced by excessive idleness.

METHODSA total of 100 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group and the qi-deficiency syndrome model group, 50 rats in each group. The qi-deficiency syndrome model was established by feeding the animals with hyper-alimentation diet in combination with restricting movement for 10 weeks. Changes of common chemical signal molecules related to NEI and vascular endothelial functions were measured by the end of the experiment. Furthermore, their internal relevance was analyzed by the method of canonical correlation analysis.

RESULTSThe vascular endothelial structure and function were obviously injured in the model group. Compared with the control group, the chemical signal molecules, such as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), corticosterone (CORT), triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine (T4), angiotensin II (Ang II), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in peripheral blood of the model group (n=43) were changed significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Canonical correlation analysis showed that vascular endothelial dysfunction was correlated to the changes of these signal molecules in the NEI network.

CONCLUSIONSComfort-based lifestyle induced not only vascular endothelial dysfunction but also an imbalance of the NEI network. Vascular endothelial dysfunction and the imbalanced NEI network interacted with each other, and an imbalance of the NEI network may be the pathophysiologic basis for the genesis and development of vascular endothelial dysfunction, even diseases of the blood vessel.

Animals ; Aorta ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; ultrastructure ; Biomarkers ; analysis ; metabolism ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Endothelins ; metabolism ; Endothelium, Vascular ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Immune System ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiology ; Male ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; physiology ; Neurosecretory Systems ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiology ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Qi ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sedentary Lifestyle ; Syndrome ; Yin Deficiency ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology

In order to explore the influence of psychological stress on the reproductive axis, we started with the original data of biology from animal experiments, then we conducted the factor analysis of 6 important bio-regulatory factors and established the Factor Analysis Model for the endocrine network of reproduction axis under psychological stress. Based on the biological data obtained from animal experiments, it is found that, compared with the relationship seen in the factor analysis model in normal condition, the relationship among the biological factors is more complicated. The key factor, GnRH, has lost its strong regulating action on the subordinate factors, especially on E2; on the other hand, beta-EP has very strong regulating action on E2, and E2 is controlled mainly by beta-EP.
Animals ; Estradiol ; blood ; physiology ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; physiology ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; blood ; physiology ; Models, Biological ; Neurosecretory Systems ; physiology ; Rats ; Reproduction ; physiology ; Stress, Psychological ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; beta-Endorphin ; blood ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the regulatory pathways and rules of the gene networks in Shen deficiency syndrome.

METHODSTissues of hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal, lymphocyte, bone, liver and kidney were taken as samples from 4 months' and 24 months' old SD rats and rats after treatment with Epimedium flavonoids (EF), differences of gene expression profile in Shen deficiency syndrome were studied repeatedly with gene chip rat expression set U230 2.0 array from Affymetrix Co.

RESULTSGene expressions in the aged rats all decreased including neurotransmitter of gamma-aminobutyric acid (gammaGABA), gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and binding proteins (IGFBP) in hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal (HPA axis), cell growth-related gene, growth factor related protein, and immune regulatory genes such as interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in lymphocytes, parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin, procollagen, collagen, connective tissue growth factor in bone, and oxidative phosphorylation genes such as cytochrome P450 and NADH dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase related with protein metabolism, and glucose-6-phosphatase related with glucose metabolism in liver, most of which were up-regulated after treatment with EF as well as genes related with ageing and cell cycle, such as cyclin B, metabolism related genes and proteins of sodium and chloride channel in kidney.

CONCLUSIONDysfunction of the two regulatory pathways of gene networks as nerve-endocrine-immunity and nerve-endocrine-bone metabolism exists in Shen deficiency syndrome differentiated by effects of drugs, which could be improved by strengthening Shen therapy.

Aging ; genetics ; physiology ; Animals ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Kidney Diseases ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neurosecretory Systems ; drug effects ; physiology ; Pituitary-Adrenal System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Yang Deficiency ; genetics ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Yiqi Wenyang Huoxue Lishui principle (YWHL, a therapeutic principle with Chinese medicine for reinforcing Qi warming Yang, activating blood circulation and promoting urination) on some neuroendocrine factors in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).

METHODSForty-nine patients of CHF with heart function of grade III-IV were randomly divided into 2 groups. The 29 cases in the treated group were treated with YWHL and the 20 cases in the control group treated with captopril. Changes of angiotensin II (AT II), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO) and alpha-granule membrance protein -140 (GMP-140) were observed.

RESULTSAfter treatment, plasma level of AT II, ANP, ET, and NO lowered in both groups with insignificant difference, but the GMP-140 reduced more significantly in the treated group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONYWHL showed a regulatory effect of neuroendicrine system partially similar to that of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, it possibly can improve the ventricular remodeling and would be beneficial to prevent the thrombus formation and improve heart failure by means of inhibiting platelet activity.

Adult ; Aged ; Angiotensin II ; blood ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; blood ; Coronary Disease ; complications ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurosecretory Systems ; drug effects ; P-Selectin ; blood ; Phytotherapy