Kidneys in Oriental and Occidental Medicine

Background: Oriental medicine is based on the 5-phase theory, in which the balance among the 5 viscera – the liver, the heart, the spleen, the lung and the kidney – is important. It is confusing that the viscera in Oriental and Occidental medicine have the same name. Out of the 5 viscera in Oriental medicine, it is the spleen that differs most from that in Occidental medicine. It mainly corresponds to the digestive organs and pancreas and has no relation to the spleen in Occidental medicine, a kind of lymph tissue. On the other hand, the concept of each of the other Oriental viscera includes the corresponding viscus in Occidental medicine. Key Messages: The 11 aspects of the kidney in Oriental medicine correspond to three kinds of endocrine and metabolic systems, all of which are associated with aging. © 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel According to traditional Chinese theory, the kidney is a comprehensive system which regulates not only water-electrolysis metabolism but also glucose metabolism, food intake, emotion, especially fear, motivation, cognitive function, genital function, bone, hair and heat production ( fig. 1 ). Out of these functions, glucose metabolism, water-electrolysis metabolism and genital function are basic adrenocortical functions. According to traditional Chinese theory, diseases result from the imbalance among the 5 elements wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The kidney has the nature of water needed to extinguish the fire. Fire not only stands for inflammation but also for excitement of the central nervous system such as heat of anger. These functions are consistent with the role of glucocorticoids as the anti-inflammatory and antistress hormone. Received: May 9, 2016 Accepted after revision: June 7, 2016 Published online: July 15, 2016 Dr. Tetsuya Kondo Kansai University of Health Sciences 2-11-1, Wakaba Kumatori-cho, Sennan-gun 590-0482 (Japan) E-Mail kondo0724538409 @ kansai.ac.jp www.karger.com/imi DOI: 10.1159/000447491 This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND) (http://www.karger.com/Services/OpenAccessLicense). Usage and distribution for commercial purposes as well as any distribution of modified material requires written permission. D ow nl oa de d by : 54 .7 0. 40 .1 1 11 /2 0/ 20 17 1 2: 38 :1 1 P M 65 Integr Med Int 2016;3:64–67 DOI: 10.1159/000447491 Kondo: Kidneys in Oriental and Occidental Medicine www.karger.com/imi © 2016 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel In our previous, large case-control study, a kind of kidney deficiency pattern according to traditional Chinese medicine was associated with eating disorder not otherwise specified [1] . It is possible that this disorder is a kind of chronic mild adrenocortical dysfunction, since anorexia can result from chronic adrenocortical dysfunction. Recently, it has been reported that hippocampal atrophy and disturbed negative feedback in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are associated with specific cognitive impairment in Alzheimer disease [2] . It was also reported that glucocorticoid sensitivity of the cognitive system is decreased in depression [3] , which is a kind of emotional and cognitive disorder with decreased motivation. These indicate that the HPA axis is involved in emotion, motivation and cognitive function, and therefore, it is considered as the most important function of the kidney in Oriental medicine. Out of the biological functions of the kidney in Oriental medicine, some are considered to be regulated by vitamin D and calcium metabolism. According to traditional Chinese theory, kidney dysfunction results in the dysfunction of what is generically named ‘the medullas’, Antiinflammation Arteriosclerosis (high-sensitive CRP) Adrenal cortex (HPA axis) Vitamin D and calcium metabolism (parathyroid gland) Thyroid grand Aging Glucose metabolism Diabetes mellitus Food intake Anorexia