肺与大肠相表里的微生态学解释

"肺与大肠相表里"、"肺在志为悲(忧)"均是传统中医所特有的思维,现代临床实践也发现肠道疾病与肺部疾病常相伴而发,而情志失调常为肺肠疾病的诱因。但没有物质基础的经脉如何联系肺与肠,用经脉络属或是五行理论来解释的"肺在志为悲(忧)"观点有没有明确的物质基础仍有待研究。目前各项研究发现肺与大肠在解剖及生理病理过程方面存在相似性,而菌群在肺—肠联系中起着重要的作用,很可能是经脉联系肺肠的物质基础之一,随着对肠道菌群研究的进一步深入,其与抑郁症等情志障碍疾病的潜在关系被逐渐揭示,也让"肺在志为悲(忧)"的观点获得认同和深化,借助最新研究成果深度认识理论术语与客观实在的关系,是中医发展的必由之路。

Microecological interpretation of the lung-gut axis

Abstract: "The lung and large intestine are interior-exteriorly related" and "lung corresponds to melancholy as an emotion" are unique thinking of traditional Chinese medicine. Modern clinical practices also find that intestinal diseases and lung diseases are often concomitant. We all know that emotional disorders often lead to lung or intestinal diseases. However, it still remains unclear that how the meridians without material basis build the link between lung and intestine and whether "lung corresponds to melancholy as an emotion" explained by the meridian theory or the five-elements theory of traditional Chinese medicine has an explicit material basis. At present, many studies have found that the lung and large intestine have similarities in the anatomy and in physiological and pathological processes. We also found that the flora plays an important role in the link between lung and intestine, which is likely one of the material bases of how meridians build the link between lung and intestine. Along with further research on intestinal flora, the potential relationship between flora and emotional disorders such as depression is being gradually revealed, which made the view of "lung corresponds to melancholy as an emotion" be accepted and deepened. To explore deeply the relationship between theoretical terminology and objective reality by means of the latest research results is the only way to the development of the Chinese medicine.