Kidneys in Oriental and Occidental Medicine

Abstract

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.

Therapeutic Potential of Two Derivative Prescriptions of Rokumijiogan, Hachimijiogan and Bakumijiogan against Renal Damage in Nephrectomized Rats

“…HJG has long been widely used to treat multiple chronic conditions and diseases, including diabetes, vegetative ataxia, infertility, and nephritis, although scientific and pharmacological evidence supporting its therapeutic effectiveness has not been well demonstrated. Especially, it has been widely used to treat impaired renal function in human research subjects with hypertension, glomerulonephritis, and nephritic disorders [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]. BJG has been used to treat renal impairment based on its antioxidant activity [ 12 ].…”

Identification of Active Component of Hachimi-jio-gan Ameliorating Diabetic Nephropathy

“…In Japan, the Chinese prescription Hachimi-jiogan (Ba-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan in Chinese, description in Chinese medical book "Jin Gui Yao Lue") is a Chinese prescription that contains eight medicinal herbs: root of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. Hachimi-jio-gan has long been used widely to treat several diseases, including chronic nephritis, sterility, and vegetative ataxia [8][9][10][11] . Hachimi-jio-gan has also been used widely in the treatment of several disorders related with diabetes, and it has been used to the management of renal dysfunction in human subjects, although pharmacological evidence to prove the its therapeutic effects, and the corresponding mechanisms of Hachimi-jio-gan and its active components has not been reported yet.…”