Dong Yang, Shi Jian-Rong
Experimental Teaching Center, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2012 Feb;10(2):128-34. doi: 10.3736/jcim20120202.
"Association of the kidney with the ears" is central to the traditional Chinese medical (TCM) theory of the viscera and their manifestations. Previous studies have shown that thyroxin, aldosterone, calcium and iron might be the material basis of the correlation between the kidney and the ears. Due to restriction in research techniques and methods, there has been no further progress in this research field, whose modern biological mechanisms and scientific connotations have not been explained clearly. In recent years, the progress of biological techniques and research on kidney essence provided promising opportunities for research of the association between the kidney and the ears. This article summarized the study progress of "association of the kidney with the ears" theory and posed some meaningful study thoughts. Presbycusis is a kind of degenerative disease caused by aging, which is one aspect of aging of the human body. Because aging is considered as physiological "kidney deficiency", presbycusis can be regarded as a model of "kidney deficiency" deafness. In conclusion, investigating the correlation between "kidney deficiency" and presbycusis using biotechnology systems combined with "essence of kidney", should provide a sound basis for study of the theory of the relationship between the kidney and the ears. This will provide new and valuable information for the modern biological research about the theory of visceral associations in TCM.
