Study On Theory Of "Heart-Kidney-Uterus Axis" And Its Clinical Practice Of Professor Guicheng Xia

Objective:In this study, we try to explore the theory of Heart-Kidney-Uterus Axis, which was established by Xia Guicheng, a well-known veteran doctor of TCM, and tap its content by means of in-depth interview of qualitative research. Meanwhile, we also interpret and describe the theoretical background and practical significance of the theory, with some difficult points in it clarified. By such a study, we aim to demonstrate the development course of the theory in a complete, in-depth and three dimension manner, explore the experiences of a veteran doctor of TCM and restore the establishment course of the academic theory, so that it can contribute to researchers’profound comprehension of the theory and provide appropriate means for theoretical research of TCM. Moreover, we perform standardized collection of clinical data that are obtained under guidance of the theory before organizing and analyzing them with the modern methods on mathematical statistics and data tapping. Then, in a bid to reflect the characteristics of its guidance, we conduct in-depth data mining and analysis for the diagnosis and treatment features of the menstrual period, postmenstrual period, intermenstrum, premenstrual period, etc under guidance of the theory and for adjustment of medicine dosages.Method:to carry out interview with the distinguished veteran TCM doctor regarding the Theory of "Heart-Kidney-Uterus Axis" with the in-depth interview method of the qualitative research. We firstly organized and analyzed the document literature of the TCM doctor before formulating a preliminary outline of interview. Then, we conducted an in-depth interview with the veteran doctor based on the formal outline, which had been modified beforehand, and transcribed the interview record. The interview report has also been approved by the veteran TCM doctor. We conducted normalized entry for the clinical diagnosis and treatment data with the data mining and tapping technique before organizing and analyzing them with the compound web analysis method.Result:The content, origin and development of the theory, which was established by Professor Xia Guicheng, were analyzed in a view to reflecting details of the clinical practice under the guidance of the theory. We organized and analyzed the content, origin and control of the theory based on the document literature of and the interview with the Professor. In the study, we have come to the conclusion that the Professor’s theory undergoes three stages, namely, the embryonic stage, the formative stage and the perfecting stage. The first stage of development of the theory, namely, the the embryonic stage, mainly occurs in 1980s, when Professor Xia Guicheng realized the importance of the heart and kidney on treatment of the diseases regarding menstrual disorder, climacteric syndrome, threatened abortion, dysmenorrhea, etc, and hence the significant correlation between heart and kidney and uterus was found as well. The second stage mainly refers to the Professor’s official presentation of the theory, in which he explained the concrete correlation between these organs and noted that the uterus link to and dominated by the heart and kidney. Therefore, the storage and excretion functions of the uterus are also related to the heart and kidney. The storage of the uterus relies on such function of the kidney as a matter of fact. Accordingly, the rise and fail of the yin and yang energy in the postmenstrual and premenstrual periods also related to those of kidney. Energy excretion of uterus is practically a result of change of the heart energy. The storage function of uterus relies on kidney while opening or excretion function of uterus depends on heart. Although the storage and excretion of uterus are determined by the heart and kidney, they are essentially dominated by the monthly rhythm of rise and fall of yin and yang energies, which must be based on integration and interaction of energies from heart and kidney. And only such movements of heart and kidney can drive the normal rise and fall of yin and yang energy of the body. The third stage, namely, the perfecting stage, refers to further elaboration and development of the theory based on increasingly profound research on the Book of Changes by commencing from the divinatory symbol of Ji Ji Wei Ji and focusing on that of Kan Li Ji Ji. During this stage, the pivotal role of Ji Ji (divinatory symbol) status is fully elaborated, with a series of methods and prescriptions enumerated. According to the presentation of the heart-kidney-uterus axis, the integration and interaction of the heart and kidney serve as the foremost form of the interactions between the upper and lower body. the conventional movements and regulating effects, such as rise of spleen and fall of stomach as well as domination of liver on catharsis, serve and are influenced by the integration and interaction of heart and kidney. The course of rise and fall of energy inside the body is a basic kind of life movement. Based on such a perspective, in this study, we fully investigate the forms of change, rise and fall of energy of human body during the menstrual cycle, as has been applied in medical treatment for purpose of furthering comprehension of movements and metabolism of drugs and crystalizing the regulating forms of the heart-kidney-uterus axis. Then, we further summarize the content of the theory and correlation and roles of the heart, kidney and heart, elaborate the relationship of the axis and change and conversion of the yin and yang energies in a menstrual cycle, and points out the (qi and blood) dialectical relationship between the axis and the internal organs, the relevance and difference of the heart-kidney-uterus and the kidney-menstruation-uterus axis as we as the relationship between the former axis and gynecological view of TCM on movements in the woman body. We have found the law of medication for heart, kidney and uterus in terms of channel tropism from the clinical data of the Professor, which have been organized and analyzed by means of data mining and tapping. It is also demonstrated in the study that tortoise plastron and deer blood are among the medicines that can be simultaneously absorbed by the heart, kidney and uterus. According to the Tiaozhou method, the medicines that can exert therapeutic effect on the heart, kidney and uterus should be used at different levels in each stage of the menstrual cycle. By the compound web analysis, we conclude that threatened abortion, POF and partially obstructed fallopian tubes, the three diagnosed diseases in western medicine, are most closely associated to the heart-kidney-uterus axis; insomnia, little or no leucorrhea, abdominal distension accompanied by frequent flatus and irritability are also most closely associated to the same axis; the prescriptions of Yueju pill and Goutent decoction as well as the while the single herbs of tortoise shell, deer blood granule and radix rehmanniae recen are prone to produce effects on the axis. In addition, we conclude in the study that the medicines show the characteristics of movements in each stage of a menstrual stage.Conclusion:In this study, we have organized and investigated the heart-kidney-uterus theory of Professor Xia Guicheng with the in-depth interview method and by means of the data mining technique. We have found that a normalized in-depth interview helps to summarization and discussion of the academic thoughts and clinical experience of a veteran doctor of TCM. The questionable or difficult points in the academic theory can be solved by means of an in-depth interview with the veteran doctor and comprehension of the relevant literature, as might serve as a feasible approach to research of his experience. We have found that data mining and research can help to discover some content and specific knowledge points that are nearly impalpable to us in his clinical data. These, combined with theoretical analysis and confirmation in the interview can maximize objectivity and accuracy of data mining.