Comparing Western and traditional Chinese medicine for male sexual dysfunction: can Klotho represent a silk road?

Autor: Wang F; Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China., Colonnello E; Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy., Zhang H; Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy., Sansone A; Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy., Wang C; Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy., Dolci S; Chair of Anatomy, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy., Guo J; Department of Andrology, Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China., Jannini EA; Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Andrology [Andrology] 2024 Sep; Vol. 12 (6), pp. 1215-1223. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Dec 28.
DOI: 10.1111/andr.13580
Abstrakt: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western Medicine both have shown efficacy in treating male sexual dysfunction (MSD). The aim of this perspective paper is to discuss a possible link between Western medicine and TCM in the MSD field as represented by the entity of Klotho. Klotho is a recently discovered protein, mainly expressed in the kidney, encoded by the anti-aging gene klotho. Not only is Klotho significantly correlated with the development and progression of kidney diseases and their complications, but increasing evidence indicates that it is also closely related to MSD. A comprehensive search within PubMed database was performed to retrieve available evidence on Klotho's roles, particularly in kidney and in MSD. Indeed, in the TCM theory, the concept of the "kidney" is entirely different from the Western medicine: it is closely related to metabolism and to the reproductive, nervous, endocrine systems, being more than just a urinary organ. According to the "Kidney storing essence (jīng) and governing reproduction" (KSEGR) theory, a cornerstone in TCM, the treatment of MSD mainly consists of restoring the kidney's function. Signs of decreasing kidney essence show a consistent similarity to deficiencies of Klotho, also for what regards the male sexual function. Based on the current evidence, Klotho may represent a potential biological indicator for sexual desire and sexual function and a kind of new scientific Silk Road between TCM and Western medicine for MSD; nevertheless, there is a need to conduct further high-quality research to prove this hypothesis.
(© 2023 American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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