Yinyang (Yin-yang) Yinyang ( yin-yang ) is one of the dominant concepts shared by different schools throughout the history of Chinese philosophy. Just as with many other Chinese philosophical notions, the influences of yinyang are easy to observe, but its conceptual meanings are hard to define. Despite the differences in the interpretation, application, and appropriation of yinyang , three basic themes underlie nearly all deployments of the concept in Chinese philosophy: (1) yinyang as the coherent fabric of nature and mind, exhibited in all existence, (2) yinyang as jiao (interaction) between the waxing and waning of the cosmic and human realms, and (3) yinyang as a process of harmonization ensuring a constant, dynamic balance of all things. As the Zhuangzi ( Chuang-tzu ) claims, “ Yin in its highest form is freezing while yang in its highest form is boiling. The chilliness comes from heaven while the warmness comes from the earth. The interaction of these two establishes he (harmony), so it gives birth to things. Perhaps this is the law of everything yet there is no form being seen” ( Zhuangzi, Chapter 21). In none of these conceptions of yinyang is there a valuational hierarchy, as if yin could be abstracted from yang (or vice versa ), regarded as superior or considered metaphysically separated and distinct. Instead, yinyang is emblematic of valuational equality rooted in the unified, dynamic, and harmonized structure of the cosmos. As such, it has served as a heuristic mechanism for formulating a coherent view of the world throughout Chinese intellectual and religious history. Origins of the Terms Yin and Yang The Yinyang School Yinyang as Qi (Vital Energy) Yinyang as Xingzi (Concrete Substance) The Yinyang Symbol References and Further Reading 1. Origins of the Terms Yin and Yang The earliest Chinese characters for yin and yang are found in inscriptions made on “oracle bones” (skeletal remains of various animals used in ancient Chinese divination practices at least as early as the 14th century B.C.E.). In these inscriptions, yin and yang simply are descriptions of natural phenomena such as weather conditions, especially the movement of the sun. There is sunlight during the day ( yang ) and a lack of sunlight at night ( yin ). According to the earliest comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters (ca. 100 CE), Xu Shen’s Shuowen jiezi ( Explaining Single-component Graphs and Analyzing Compound Characters ), yin refers to “a closed door, darkness and the south bank of a river and the north side of a mountain.” Yang refers to “height, brightness and the south side of a mountain.” These meanings of yin and yang originated in the daily life experience of the early Chinese. Peasants depended on sunlight for lighting and their daily life routines. When the sun came out, they would go to the field to work; when the sun went down, they would return home to rest. This sun-based daily pattern evidently led to a conceptual claim: yang is movement ( dong ) and yin is rest ( jing ). In their earliest usages, yin and yang existed independently and were not connected. The first written record of using these two characters together appears in a verse from the Shijing (Book of Songs) : “Viewing the scenery at a hill, looking for yinyang .” This indicates that yang is the sunny side and yin is the shady side of hill. This effect of the sun exists at the same time over the hill. 2. The Yinyang School According to Sima Tan ( Ssu-ma Tan , c. 110 B.C.E.), there existed a school of teaching during the “Spring and Autumn” (770-481 B.C.E.) and “Warring States” (403-221 B.C.E.) periods that bore the name of yinyang . He lists this yinyang school alongside five others ( Confucian , Mohist, Legalist, Fatalist, and Daoist ) and defines its theory as “the investigation of the shu of yin and yang .” According to him, this school focused on omens of luck and explored the patterns of the four seasons. In other words, the yinyang school was concerned with methods of divination or astronomy (disciplines that were not distinct from one another in early China, as elsewhere in the ancient world) and the calendrical arts (which entailed study of the four seasons, eight locations, twelve du and twenty-four shijie ). Just as the Confucians ( rujia ) arose from the ranks of rushi (“scholar-gentlemen”) who excelled at ritual and music, those of the yingyang school came from the fangshi (“recipe-gentlemen”) who specialized in various numerological disciplines known as shushu (“number-arts”). These shushu included tianwen (astronomy), lipu (calendar-keeping), wuxing (“five phases” correlative theory), zhuguai (tortoise-shell divination), zazha (fortune-telling) and xingfa (face-reading). The Han dynasty chronicle Shiji (Records of the Historian) lists Zou Yan (305-240 B.C.E.) as a representative of the yinyang school who possessed a profound knowledge of the theory of yinyang and wrote about a hundred thousand words on it. However, none of his works have survived. By the Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), yinyang was associated with wuxing (“five phases”) correlative cosmology . According to the “Great Plan” chapter of the Shujing ( Classic of Documents ), wuxing refers to material substances that have certain functional attributes: water is said to soak and descend; fire is said to blaze and ascend; wood is said to curve or be straight; metal is said to obey and change; earth is said to take seeds and give crops. Wuxing is used as a set of numerological classifiers and explains the configuration of change on various scales. The so-called yinyang wuxing teaching – an “early Chinese attempt in the direction of working out metaphysics and a cosmology” (Chan 1963: 245) – was a fusion of these two conceptual schemes applied to astronomy and the mantic arts. 3. Yinyang as Qi (Vital Energy) The most enduring interpretation of yinyang in Chinese thought is related to the concept of qi ( ch’i , vital energy). According to this interpretation, yin and yang are seen as qi (in both yin and yang forms) operating in the universe. In the “Duke Shao” chapter of the Zuozhuan ( The Book of History ), yin and yang are first defined as two of six heavenly qi : There are six heavenly influences which descend and produce the five tastes, go forth in the five colours, and are verified in the five notes; but when they are in excess, they produce the six diseases. Those six influences are denominated the yin , the yang , wind, rain, obscurity, and brightness. In their separation, they form the four seasons; in their order, they form the five (elementary) terms. When any of them is in excess, they ensure calamity. An excess of the yin leads to diseases of cold; of the yang , to diseases of heat. (Legge 1994: 580). Here, yin and yang are the qi of the universe. These qi flow within the natural as well as the human worlds. They are the basic fabric of existence: Heaven and earth have their regular ways, and men like these for their pattern, imitating the brilliant bodies of Heaven, and according with the natural diversities of the Earth. (Heaven and Earth) produce the six atmospheric conditions , and make use of the five material elements. Those conditions (and elements) become the five tastes, are manifested in the five colours, and displayed in the five notes. When they are in excess, there ensue obscurity and confusion, and people lose their (proper) nature… There were mildness and gentleness kindness and harmony, in imitation of the producing and nourishing action of Heaven. There are love and hatred, pleasure and anger, grief and joy, produced by the six atmosphere conditions . Therefore (the sage kings) carefully imitated these relations and analogies (in forming ceremonies), to regulate those six impulses…When there is no failure in the joy and grief, we have a state in harmony with the nature of Heaven and Earth, which consequently can endure long. ( Legge 1994: 708). Thus qi , a force arising from the interplay between yin and yang , becomes a context in which yinyang is seated and functions. Yinyang as qi provides an explanation of the beginning of the universe and serves as a building block of the Chinese intellectual tradition. In many earlier texts, one may observe how yinyang generates a philosophical perspective on heaven, earth and human beings. Chapter 42 of the Laozi says that everything is embedded in yin and embraces yang ; through chong qi it reaches he .” It is through yinyang ’s function as qi and the interaction between them that everything comes into existence. Zhuangzi also speaks about the “ qi of yin and yang ”: “When the qi of yin and yang are not in harmony, and cold and heat come in untimely ways, all things will be harmed.” ( Zhuangzi ch. 31) On the other hand, “when the two have successful intercourse and achieve harmony, all things will be produced.” ( Zhuangzi ch. 21) The interpretation of yinyang as qi conceives yinyang as a dynamic and natural form of flowing energy, a complementary in the primordial potency of the universe. The Huainanzi offers more detailed explanation of the cosmological process of yin and yang : When heaven and earth were formed, they divided into yin and yang. Yang is generated from yin and yin is generated from yang . Yin and yang mutually alternate which makes four fields penetrate. Sometimes there is life, sometimes there is death, that brings the myriad things to completion. (ch. 2) This process also explains the beginning of human life. When qi moved, the clear and light rose to be heaven and the muddy and heavy fell to become earth. When these two qi interacted and attained the stage of harmony ( he ), human life began. This shows that everything is made from the same materials and difference relies on the interaction. Qi also takes on various forms and is convertible from one form to another with order and pattern. The concept of yinyang supplies a unitary vision of heaven, earth and human beings and makes the world intelligible in terms of a resonance between human beings and the universe. The Guoyu ( Discourses of the States ) describes how earthquakes took place at the confluence of the Jing, Wei, and Lou rivers during the second year of Duke You of the western Zhou dynasty. A certain Boyang Fu claims that the Zhou empire is doomed to collapse, explaining that The qi of heaven and earth can’t lose its order. If its order vanishes people will be disoriented. Yang was stuck and could not get out, yin was suppressed and could not evaporate, so an earthquake was inevitable. Now the earthquakes around the three rivers are due to yang losing its place and yin being pressed down. Yang is forsaken under yin so the source of rivers has been blocked. If the foundation of rivers is blocked the country will definitely collapse. This is because of the fact that the flowing water and flourishing land are necessities for the people’s lives. If the water and land cannot sustain the people’s living conditions, the country will inevitably fall. ( Discourse of the States 1994: 22). Not only does this ¬ yinyang -flavored explanation claim to illuminate natural phenomena, it also implies that there is an intrinsic relationship between natural events and political systems. Human beings, especially political leaders, must align their virtuous actions with the morally-oriented universe. If they follow and harmonize with ( shun ) the order and patterns of the universe, they will be rewarded with prosperity and flourishing, but if they go against and conflict with ( ni ) it, they will be punished with disasters and destruction. Whether one engages in shun or ni depends upon whether yin and yang are in a state of balance. Thus, yinyang provides a heuristic outlook for human understanding as well as ethical guidance for achieving harmony in action. As chapter 8 of the Huainanzi claims: Yinyang embodies the harmony of heaven and earth, manifests the forms of myriad things, contains qi to transform the things and completes various kinds of things; yinyang extends and penetrates to the deepest level; begins in emptiness then becomes full and moves in boundless lands. 4. Yinyang as Xingzi (Concrete Substance) Yinyang also has been understood as some concrete substance ( xingzhi ), according to which yixing and yangxing define everything in the universe. In the Yijing ( I-Ching , The Book of Changes ), yinyang is presented as xingzhi . Yang was identified with the sun and yin with the moon: Heaven and earth correlate with vast and profound; four seasons correlate with change and continuity ; the significance of yin and yang correlate with sun and moon; the highest excellence correlates the goodness of easy and simple.( Sishu wujing 1990: 197) The Guanzi, an important work of the Huang-Lao school, discusses this view along the same lines: “The sun is in charge of yang , the moon is in charge of yin , the stars are in charge of harmony .” ( Guanzi 2000: 151). This xingzhi interpretation materializes the concept of yinyang in some concrete contexts and shows that the universe is orderly, moral and gendered. The pattern of the world is written in a gendered language. Yinyang is something one can see, feel, and grasp through the senses. For example, in the Liji ( Book of Ritual ), music represents the he (harmony) of heaven and earth, while li (ritual) represents the order of heaven and earth: “Music is coming from yang , ritual is coming from yin . The harmony of yinyang receives the myriad things.” ( Sishu wujing 1990: 525) In the human world, male as yang should be cultivated, otherwise the day will suffer; female as yin should be cultivated too, otherwise the moon will be affected. According to Dong Zhongshu, (195-115 B.C.E.), both Tian (heaven) and human beings have yinyang . Therefore, there is an intrinsic connection between tian and human beings through the movement of yin and yang . Yinyang is an essential vehicle for interactions between heaven and human beings: “The qi of yinyang moves heaven above as well as in human beings. When it is among human beings it is displayed itself as like, dislike, happy and mad, when it is in heaven it is seen as warm, chilly, cold and hot.” (Dong Zhongshu 1996: 436) In Dong’s cosmological vision, the whole universe is a giant yinyang . One of many examples of this vision is Dong’s proposal to control floods and prevent droughts by proper human interaction. In chapter 74 (“Seeking the Rain”) of his Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn , Dong asserts that a spring drought indicates too much yang and not enough yin . So one should “open yin and close yang ” (1996: 432) He suggests that the government should have the south gate closed, which is in the direction of yang . Men, embodying yang , should remain in seclusion. Women, embodying yin , should appear in public. He even requests all married couples to copulate ( ouchu ) to secure more yinyang intercourse. It is also important during this time to make women happy. (1996: 436) In chapter 75 (“Stopping the Rain”), Dong alleges that the flood proves there is too much yin so one should “open yang and close yin ” (1996: 438). The north gate, the direction of yin , should be wide open. Women should go into concealment and men should be visible. Officers in the city should send their wives to the countryside in order to make sure that yin will not conquer yang . Derk Bodde defines this practice as a “sexual sympathetic magic.” (Bodde 1981: 373) Finally, yinyang also plays a pivotal role in traditional Chinese thought about health and the human body. The early medical text known as the Huangdi neijing ( The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine ) provides a detailed account of physiological functions and pathological changes in the body and guidance for diagnosis and treatment in terms of yinyang . Five zang (organs) -- the kidneys, liver, heart, spleen and lungs -- are classified as yin . They control the storage of vital substance and qi . Six fu (organs) -- the gallbladder, stomach, small and large intestines, urinary bladder and triple burner (referring to three parts of the body cavity: the upper burner, which houses the heart and lungs; the middle burner, which houses the spleen and stomach; and the lower burner, which houses the kidney, urinary bladder and small and large intestines) -- are yang and control the transport and digestion of food. The storage is a yin function, and the transport and transformation of substance is a yang function. But the zang and fu organs can be further subdivided into yin and yang . The activity or function of each organ is its yang aspect, while its substance is its yin aspect. Yin should flow smoothly and yang should vivify steadily. They regulate themselves so as to maintain equilibrium. Yin and yang do not exist in isolation but are in a dynamic state in which they interact and fashion the complicated and intricate system of the human body. 5. The Yinyang Symbol There is no a clear and definite way to determine the exact date of origin or the person who created the popular yinyang symbol. No one has ever claimed specific ownership of this popular image. However, there is a rich textual and visual history leading to its creation. Inspired by a primeval vision of cosmic harmony, Chinese thinkers have sought to codify this order in various intellectual constructions. Whether to formulate this underlying pattern through words and concepts or numbers and visual images has been debated since the Han dynasty. The question first surfaced in the interpretation of the Yijing . The Yijing is constructed around sixty-four hexagrams ( gua ), each of which is made of six parallel broken or unbroken line segments ( yao ). Each of the sixty-four hexagrams has a unique designation; its image ( xiang ) refers to a particular natural object and conveys the meaning of human events and activities. The Yijing thus has generated a special way to decipher the universe. It mainly incorporates three elements: xiang (images), shu (numbers), and li (meanings). They act as the mediators between heavenly cosmic phenomena and earthly human everyday life. From the Han dynasty through the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1912 CE), there was a consistent tension between two schools of thought: the school of xiangshu (images and numbers) and the school of yili (meanings and reasoning). At issue between them is how best to interpret the classics, particularly the Yijing . The question often was posed as: “Am I interpreting the six classics or are the six classics interpreting me?” For the school of Xiangshu the way to interpret the classics is to produce a figurative and numerological representation of the universe through xiang (images) and shu (numbers). It held that xiangshu are indispensable structures expressing the Way of heaven, earth and human being. Thus the school of Xiangshu takes the position that “I interpret the classics” by means of the images and numbers. The emphasis is on the appreciation of classics. The school of Yili , on the other hand, focuses on an exploration of the meanings of the classics on the basis of one’s own reconstruction. In other word, the school of Yili treats all classics as supporting evidence for their own ideas and theories. The emphasis is more on idiosyncratic new theories rather than the explanation of the classics. In what follows, our inquiry focuses on the legacy of the Xiangshu school. The most common effort of the Xiangshu school was to draw tu (diagrams). Generations of intellectuals labored on the formulation and creation of numerous tu . Tu often delineate structure, place, and numbers through black and white lines. They are not aesthetic objects but rather serve as a means of articulating the fundamental patterns that govern phenomena in the universe. Tu are universes in microcosm and demonstrate obedience to definite norms or rules. During the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE), the Daoist monk Chen Tuan (906-989 CE) made an important contribution to this tradition by drawing a few tu in order to elucidate the Yijing . Though none of his tu were directly passed down, he is considered the forerunner of the school of tushu (diagrams and writings). It is said that he left behind three tu ; since his death, attempting to discover these tu has become a popular scholarly pursuit. After Chen Tuan, three trends in making tu emerged, exemplified by the work of three Neo-Confucian thinkers: the Hetu ( Diagram of River ) and Luoshu ( Chart of Luo ) ascribed to Liu Mu (1011-1064 CE), the Xiantian tu ( Diagram of Preceding Heaven ) credited to Shao Yong (1011-1077 CE), and the Taijitu ( Diagram of the Great Ultimate ) attributed to Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073 CE). These three trends eventually led to the creation of the first yinyang symbol by Zhao Huiqian (1351-1395 CE), entitled Tiandi Zhiran Hetu ( Heaven and Earth’s Natural Diagram of the River ) and pictured above at the head of this entry. 6. References and Further Reading Bennett, Steven J. “Patterns of the Sky and the Earth: A Chinese Science of Applied Cosmology.” Chinese Science (March 1978) 3: 1-26. Chan, Wing-tsit, ed. A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1963. Bodde, Derk. Essays on Chinese Civilization . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1981. Dong, Zhongshu. Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn . Ed. Su Xing. Beijing: Chinese Press, 1996. Fung, Yu-lan. A Short History of Chinese Philosophy . Trans. Derk Bodde. New York: The Free Press, 1997. Graham, A.C. Yin-Yang and the Nature of Correlative Thinking . Singapore: The Institute of East Asian Philosophies, 1986. Guanzi. Ed. Guan Bo. Beijing: Hua Xia Press, 2000. Guoyu (Discourse of the States) . Eds. Wu Guoyi, Hu Guowen and Li Xiaolu. Shanghai: Guji Press, 1994. Henderson, John B. The Development and Decline of Chinese Cosmology. New York: Columbia University Press, 1984. Huainanzi . Ed. Liu An. Xi’an: Sanqing Press, 1998. Inoue, Satoshi. Xianqin Yinyang Wuxing (Pre-Qin Yinyang and Five Phases) . Hubei: Education Press, 1997. Kohn, Livia. “Ying and Yang: The Natural Dimension of Evil.” In Philosophies of Nature: The Human Dimension, eds. Robert S. Cohen and Alfred I. Tauber (New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1997), 91-106. Legge, James. The Chinese Classics : The Ch’un Ts’ew, with Tso Chuen. Taipei: SMC Publishing Inc., 1994. Li, Shen and Guo Yu, eds. The Complete Selection of Diagrams of Zhouyi . Shanghai: China Eastern Normal University Press, 2004. Makeham, John. Transmitters and Creators: Chinese Commentators and Commentaries on the Analects . Harvard East Asian Monographs, no. 228. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003. Needham, Joseph. Science and Civilization in China . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1956. Porkert, Manfred. The Theoretical Foundations of Chinese Medicine: Systems of Correspondence . Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1974. Puett, Michael J. To Become a God: Cosmology, Sacrifice and Self-Divination in Early China . Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2002. Roth, Harold D. Original Tao: Inward Training (Nei-yeh) and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism . New York: Columbia University Press, 1999. Rubin, Vitaly A. “The Concepts of Wu-Hsing and Yin-Yang,” Journal of Chinese Philosophy 9 (1982): 131-157. Sishu wujing (Four Books and Five Classics) . China: Yuling Press, 1990. Yabuuti, Kiyosi. “Chinese Astronomy: Development and Limiting Factors.” In Chinese Science: Explorations of an Ancient Tradition , eds. Shigeru Nakayama and Nathan Sivin (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1973), 91-103. Yang, Xuepeng. Yinyang Qi yu Bianliang (Yinyang Qi and Changes) . Beijing: Chinese Science Press, 1993. Yates, Robin D.S. Five Lost Classics: Tao, Huang-Lao, and Yin-yang in Han China . New York: Ballantine Books, 1997. Zhuangzi . Ed. by Chen Guying. Beijing: Chinese Press, 1983. Author Information Robin R. Wang Email: rwang@lmu.edu Loyola Marymount University U. S. A.
为什么世界各地的生物医学科学家们都如此钟爱她?想必也是有她的道理,这里只是一部分答案。 “阴阳是一个正在全世界风靡的中国概念。” 引自 Cook S . Coronary artery disease, nitric oxide and oxidative stress: the "Yin-Yang" effect--a Chinese concept for a worldwide pandemic . Swiss Med Wkly. 2006, 18, 136(7-8):103-13. “ 古代的哲学家们早已知道了健康的本质就是平衡,但其所代表的机理是复杂的,以至数千来,我们还一直在试图回答着同样的问题。” 引自 Aikawa M . The balance of power: the law of Yin and Yang in smooth muscle cell fate. Is YY1 a vascular protector? . Circ Res. 2007, 20, 101(2):111-3. “令人惊奇的是,这种古代的中医阴阳学说在探讨疾病是如何发生的,却现在被证实在分子水平上” 引自 Dai MS , Jin Y , Gallegos JR , et al. Balance of Yin and Yang: ubiquitylation- mediated regulation of p53 and c-Myc . Neoplasia. 2006,8(8):630-44. “阴阳概念提供了一个智慧的架构,它充分体现了中国人的科学思维,特别是在生物学和医学领域 。” 引自 Dutt T , Toh CH . The Yin-Yang of thrombin and activated protein C . Br J Haematol. 2008, 140(5):505-15. “届时我们将在细胞生物学的基础之上完全揭开动态阴阳的奥秘 。” 引自 Zhu X . Seeing the yin and yang in cell biology . Mol Biol Cell. 2010, 21(22): 3827-8.
沈晓雄 阴阳—一个风靡现代生物医学界的科学概念(1) 近年来,当国内的网站和媒体还在争议着中医是否科学,却不知在国际上,中医阴阳学说已在现代生物医学界风靡,成了科学家们的宠爱。现综合国外有关文献,分六小部分报告给《科学网》的生物医学和中医界的同仁,大家一起给力,呵护中华民族的文化,自敬,自爱,自信,自强。 阴阳学说是中医学的理论精髓实质,是对自然界相互关联的某些事物和现象对立消长,依存互根,动态平衡的概括。 近三十多年来阴阳学说在现代医学中也得到了广泛的运用,特别是随着现代分子生物医学的迅速发展,阴阳学说不仅开始为众多的生物科学家们所接受,而且成了他们理论工具的时尚。他们将阴阳学说运用在现代医学包括分子生物医学的各个分支领域,用来阐述和分析医学生物界各种的生理功能调节和病理的变化,从而在更高的层次归纳总结生物体内的机能活动,组织结构及其内稳态的相互关系,并为科学研究提供前瞻性的理论指导。 阴阳学说在现代医学中的兴起 阴阳学说在现代医学中兴起,应当追溯到六十年代中期,美国范德比尔特大学Sutherland EW 教授发现了cAMP(环腺苷酸)作为细胞内的第二信使调节细胞的生理活动与物质代谢,而于1971年获得了诺贝尔医学奖。接着Goldberg ND教授在1975年代发现了cAMP与cGMP(环磷酸鸟苷)通常呈拮抗性,有共同参与调节生物细胞的作用,首次提出了细胞功能调节的“阴阳学说”假设。他认为这种拮抗调节作用可以用“阴”和“阳”两词来概括。这一观点引起了许多学者的兴趣,生物医学界相继发表了不少有关cAMP和cGMP的这种拮抗性调节与阴阳对立消长的学术论文。 可以说七十年代生物医学界“阴阳学说”观点的提出,奠定了阴阳学说在现代医学中运用的基础,说明阴阳学说已开始为现代医学生物科学家们所了解和接受。此后在八十年代,科学家们试图将阴阳学说运用于医学各个领域。其中1986年Marx JL在《科学》杂志上发表了“细胞生长调控的阴和阳”,可以说是阴阳学说第一次在世界顶级科学刊物上被得到了认可,确立了阴阳学说的科学性,及在现代生物医学中的运用价值。 阴阳学说在现代医学界再次引人注目,成为时尚,是1991年Shi Y, Seto E, Shenk T 等几位科学家,他们惊喜地发现了一种锌指类细胞转录调节因子,该基因是一种启动子结合蛋白,在核酸的转录启动及调控中起着相当重要的作用,控制细胞的增殖,生长,和DNA损伤的应答,特别是在许多生物体中它对基因的调控,具有激活或抑制的双重转录活性。因此,这几位科学家决定将此启动子结合蛋白命名为“阴阳1”基因,简称“YY1”。他们的科研成果也很快地被发表在世界顶级医学科学杂志《细胞》和《自然》上,同时引起了医学生物界极大的反响。“阴阳1”基因对揭开基因是如何启动,生物体是如何调控其蛋白的转录、翻译和合成的,起到的很大的帮助。在这二十多年中,医学科学家们对于“阴阳1”基因的研究一直兴趣未减,取得了许多令人瞩目的进展。并且还发现了“阴阳2”(YY2)基因。 据美国国立医学图书馆生物信息中心网资料统计,在2000年度中,关联到阴阳学说的生物医学论文还不到50篇,而2010年度中,有关论文已经超过了一百篇。难怪瑞士的一位心血管病专家在他的医学论文中称:“阴阳是一个正在全世界风靡的中国概念。” (待续) 阴阳—一个风靡现代生物医学的科学概念(2) 阴阳学说阐述生物体内稳态的相互关系 随着半个世纪以来,分子生物医学研究日新月异的发展,技术手段的更新,大量新的基因被不断地发现。科学家们在超微观的生物研究过程中,仿佛有一种“不识庐山真面目,只缘身在此山中”的感觉,他们深深地意识到在研究的一定阶段,必须超越狭小微观生物的范围,从宏观的角度来认识生物的生命现象的真相与全貌,避免其片面性。当然,阴阳学说又成了科学家们的首选工具,特别是在医学综述和述评论文中常常被引进了阴阳学说。 哈佛大学医学院的Zigman JM和Elmquist JK 在《内分泌学》杂志上发表了题为“体重的阴阳调控—从厌食症到肥胖症”。在这篇综述中,总结了十多年来的有关于控制食欲、体重的相关基因的研究进展,并将这些研究成果,绘制成太极阴阳模型 。作者将瘦素(Leptin)比作阳,是能量充足的分子信号。瘦素具有广泛的生物学作用,能抑制摄食,促进能量消耗,调节代谢,影响激素分泌、生殖、免疫和血管增生等。作者还将脑肠肽(ghrelin)比作阴,是能量不足的分子信号。脑肠肽又称“饿激素”,是一种由胃的内分泌细胞所产生的小分子肽,它是很有效的进食刺激剂。文章主要阐述了人体瘦素和脑肠肽激素作为重要的信号,两者如同阴阳一样相互依存,彼此协调,自适调控,通过相应的中枢神经系统反馈调节(overlapping pathways),来平衡能量和食物的摄取,保持体重的稳态。两者之间若任何一方过盛或不足,都可能破坏内稳态的平衡,引起肥胖,厌食症或虚损证。 值得注意的是,《自然》杂志免疫学分册2005年第四期为了更明瞭地表达调节性胸腺依赖性淋巴细胞(T细胞)(regulatory T cells, Treg)在维持机体免疫平衡方面发挥的重要作用, 特在该期的封面绘制了太极阴阳图,又一次吸引了全世界医学界的眼球。编辑十分强调和谐本质的重要性,指出人体由无数的复杂元件之间相互作用而成,彼此需要互相和谐,才能维护其构成要件的动态平衡 。调节性T细胞作为一个具有独立功能的T 细胞亚群,其功能是通过抑制自身反应性T细胞的免疫反应、抑制传统T细胞的活化以及促进一些抑制性细胞因子的分泌等,在维持机体内环境的稳定、肿瘤免疫监测、诱导移植耐受以及自身免疫性疾病的发生中发挥其重要作用。 另外,Shen Y 和Meri S也从太极阴阳调节角度来探讨补体的阴阳两方面的作用与阿兹海默症的关系。在阿兹海默症的发生发展过程中,补体系统一方面被淀粉样蛋白激活,可诱导和促进局部免疫炎症形成,产生大量具有生物学活性的蛋白质,和神经元损伤变性,表现为阴的一面;另一方面又可以通过促进清除神经元毒性以及促神经生长因子的分泌,防止炎症反应扩大和促进神经再生,表现为阳的一面,这种阴阳平衡一旦被破坏而将发生阿兹海默症。 正如哈佛大学教授Aikawa M一针见血地指出的那样:“古代的哲学家们早已知道了健康的本质就是平衡,但其所代表的机理是复杂的,以至数千来,我们还一直在试图回答着同样的问题。”(Aikawa M. The balance of power: the law of Yin and Yang in smooth muscle cell fate. Is YY1 a vascular protector? . Circ Res. 2007, 20, 101(2):111-3) Zigman JM, Elmquist JK. From anorexia to obesity--the yin and yang of body weight control . Endocrinology. 2003, 144(9):3749-56. 阴阳—一个风靡现代生物医学的科学概念(3) 阴阳学说描述生物体内互相对立的制约关系 以往医学界描述生物体内互相对立制约的关系,总是用正负,相反,相对,升降,促进和抑制等词汇来形容。可是,当西方生物医学家们了解到阴阳的深刻内涵后,他们意识到没有任何词汇能比阴阳更言简意骇,来描述生物体内的生命本质现象的基本特征。据不完全统计,近年来现代医学,包括分子生物医学运用阴阳作为主题词的论文就有千余篇,而且有不断上升趋势。 另一方面,随着分子生物学研究的不断深入,生命现象中具有互相对立制约关系的基因和基因组不断地被发现,同时一个基因在不同的生理病理条件下也常常表现出相互对立矛盾的两个方面。因而,阴阳学说的运用也就变得越来越普遍,这在免疫学方面有着代表性的例子。Zhang J在《临床研究杂志》的论文开始,首先把庄子的道家宇宙阴阳观介绍给了英文读者,接着他利用太极阴阳模型来解释干扰素(IFN-γ)在炎症反应和免疫应答过程中表现出的阴阳对立转化的双重性。当炎症发生之际,干扰素-γ诱导出一些促炎症细胞因子,表现出阳的特征,可是当“重阳必阴”时,干扰素-γ会诱导产生一些消炎症的基因。因此干扰素-γ具有调节机体内“阴平阳秘”,对免疫系统的平衡起到了重要作用。阴阳学说在免疫学中运用的文章还有很多,例如,美国著名麻省理工学院生物学Eisen HN教授, 在他的论著中以《免疫系统中的阴和阳---抗原识别的特异性和简并性》为题,来探讨解释抗原识别过程中二元性, T细胞表面的抗原受体既有高度特异性的一面,可以敏锐地区分其中的特异性抗体,另一方面每个T细胞受体又可和许多不同的多肽组织相容性复合体(peptide-MHC complexes)抗原起反应,表现出T细胞识别的简并性一面。 耶鲁大学免疫系Wan YY在他的论文综述中,讨论了免疫调节中转化生长因子-β(TGF-β)和调节性T细胞之间的阴阳作用。 转化生长因子-β是具有免疫抑制活性的细胞因子.它们与自身免疫病的发生有着密切的关系, 转化生长因子-β对调节T细胞功能的表达起着关键的作用。是免疫学领域研究的热点,两者对于控制自身免疫反应和维持机体免疫耐受状态有着非常重要的作用。以往研究主要表明在机体免疫系统中两者发挥着阴性调节作用,既能抑制不恰当的免疫反应,又能限定免疫应答的范围,对炎症性细胞的增殖、免疫活性的发挥起抑制作用。但近来研究也表明,两者还有阳性调节作用,既在某些条件下,两者又作为促进因子直接参与免疫应答。另外,Nurieva RI等综合了近年来免疫学的研究成果,分析了白细胞表面分化抗原28(CD28)家族蛋白作为T细胞第二信号受体对T细胞的阴阳二方面的共同刺激所造成的对免疫耐受和功能的重要控制作用。Galgani M等也讨论了调节性T细胞的阴阳双重调节作用对免疫系统的平衡起着至关重要的作用,一旦阴阳平衡被破坏,超越了其免疫耐受状态,将会发生自动免疫性疾病或癌症。 阴阳:一个风靡现代生物医学的科学概念(4) 阴阳学说分析生物体内动态变化的规律 和中医认识人体生命现象的本质一样,生物医学家们也认识到了内环境的平衡是健康的基本保证,同时也观察到平衡不是绝对的和一成不变(static)的,而是相对的和动态变化(dynamic)的。一旦人体内的这种动态平衡被破坏,就将会产生各种疾病。他们指出“令人惊奇的是,这种古代的中医阴阳学说在探讨疾病是如何发生的,却现在被证实在分子水平上”。 阴阳学说分析生物体内动态变化规律的论文主要集中在肿瘤病变,细胞周期,月经周期调控等方面。 其中倍受生物医学界关注的是一种抗癌基因p53,它在细胞周期捕获,DNA修复,细胞衰老、分化、调亡等动态变化过程中都起着的重要作用。当DNA受到损伤时,p53表达产物急剧增加,可抑制细胞周期进一步运转,停顿于特定的周期位点,阻止DNA复制,以提供足够的时间使损伤DNA修复;当修复失败,p53蛋白则引发细胞凋亡;如果p53基因发生了突变,对细胞的增殖失去控制,导致细胞癌变。科学家们为了更好地研究p53基因的功能及调控规律,还从阴阳两方面来研究,首先从阳的方面,用转基因小鼠将p53基因功能放大,表明其能降低小鼠癌症的发生率,但却能引起早衰。相反从阴的角度降低p53基因水平,却能增加小鼠癌症的发生率。 另外,有学者将抗癌基因p53的肿瘤抑制作用比作“阴”,它能修复损伤细胞,或者除去严重损伤的细胞从而避免这些细胞对机体的危害作用。相反将致癌基因c-Myc的肿瘤发生作用比作“阳”,c-Myc基因能促进细胞周期的生长、增殖,与某些组织肿瘤的发生、发展和演变转归有重要关系。现在人们普遍认为,癌症的发生主要是由于这种阴阳的平衡逐渐被破坏,可以是先天的遗传基因或后天的物理、化学、生物的致癌物质改变所致。在过去30年中,有许多相关的阴阳调节蛋白被发现,而p53和c-Myc最具有代表性,因为它们有着正好相反的作用,对控制细胞的生长、增殖,调节蛋白之间的平衡有着重要的作用。科学家们利用人为的科学方法来干扰这种阴阳的平衡,造成阴阳某一方的不足或过盛,结果发现p53和c-Myc的阴阳双方是相互依存互根的,两者之间在细胞体内保持着动态的平衡,控制细胞的生长。 细胞周期的准确调控是生物进行生命活动基本过程的重要保证。越来越多的科学家们发现理解阴阳学说的内涵对研究细胞周期调控有着非常的重要性。首先他们发现细胞生长控制的每一个水平环节中,各元素间都存在着阴阳相互对立的动态平衡调节作用。其次,在细胞周期调控中,细胞内在的因素和外在的因素同样重要,并且相互协调才能维持细胞正常增殖。另外,理解阴阳失调的内涵对研究细胞周期失控的病理现象,特别是肿瘤的发生与防治有着重要的意义。 The paradoxical roles and interplay of IFN-γ in inflammation and autoimmune disease. Zhang J. Yin and yang interplay of IFN-γ in inflammation and autoimmune disease . J Clin Invest. 2007, 117(4) ... 阴阳:一个风靡现代生物医学界的科学概念(5) 利用阴阳学说研发新的生物疗法 正如前面提到的那样,科学家们不仅利用阴阳学说的原理来制造不同的病理模型,近年来还设想根据阴阳学说原理来开发和研制新的制剂。瑞典的肿瘤分子生物学家Larsson LG和Henriksson MA 最近发表了关于“在肿瘤生长中肿瘤蛋白Myc的阴阳功能及以此为目标的疗法”的论文。文章回顾了Myc基因家族在控制正常细胞增殖,生长方面起着重要的作用。同时分析了Myc基因一旦在失控的情况下表现出阴阳两方面的特征。 Myc基因是较早发现的一组癌基因,前面提到的c-Myc基因就是Myc基因家族的重要成员之一, Myc基因失控后将会破坏细胞,发生在扩大增殖的及自我更新的细胞中,导致其异常或过度表达,加速肿瘤的发生,这种被激活Myc基因广泛参与人体多种癌症的发生,。但是另一方面,近来科学家们还发现,Myc基因也同时可以触发机体内在的肿瘤抑制机制,包括细胞凋亡,细胞衰老,DNA修复,这三大内在的应答机制在机体阻止肿瘤发展中起着重要作用。两位作者将Myc基因这种对立矛盾的两方面描述为阴阳特征。文章着重综述了Myc基因阴阳两方面特征,启迪读者在设计抗癌药物时,不仅仅要从阴的方面来控制肿瘤细胞生长、增殖、代谢、细胞周期,干细胞,以及抑制变异和浸润。同时,应从阳的方面多层次、多方位、多途径地积极开发研制新型抗癌制剂,因为Myc基因直接参与细胞内在抗癌机制,即细胞凋亡能清除固定突变及细胞周期调控失衡的细胞;细胞衰老会中断细胞生长周期,使细胞不再分裂;DNA修复对所有可能的DNA损害做出相对应的修补措施,确保基因遗传信息的正确性,逃避癌化。 由此可见,预计在不久的将来,科学家们会在整体抗癌治疗中,一方面去研制抑制Myc基因与癌细胞作用的更优良药物,降低药物毒副作用。而另一方面研制基因疗法,作为一种生物治疗常规方法,利用机体内在抗癌机制,为治疗癌症提供一种新的可能性,成为手术、化疗、放疗的补充和有效的治疗手段,已成为抗肿瘤研究的新思路。这正是中医所说的“祛邪”“扶正”,“标本兼顾”。 (未完待续) Zhou J, Zhang Y. Cancer stem cells: Models, mechanisms and implications for improved treatment. Cell Cycle. 2008 May 15;7(10):1360-70. Epub 2008 Mar 19. 阴阳:一个风靡现代生物医学的科学概念(6) 结语及展望 中医是以阴阳总纲为宏观,以寒热,虚实,表里为亚宏观,而以脏腑和六经辩证为次宏观,同时以五行和经络为纵向联系,形成了中医独特的整体统一的网络(network)理论体系;现代医学以肉眼大体解剖为次宏观,以光镜和细胞学常规技术为微观,而以电镜和分子生物学技术为超微观,同时以神经血管为纵向联系,形成了西医的理论体系。随着分子生物研究的不断深入,虽然人体生命现象还远远没有完全被揭示,但现代医学的理论体系已变得越来越臃肿庞杂,且彼此间缺少整体统一性。这时如果还没有一个宏观的科学理论来加以总结深化提高,那将变得杂乱无章,他们渴望能有一个超越微观的宏观整体统一动态平衡的网络理论体系。因此,古老而充满科学哲理的阴阳学说很快就成了现代医学界的“新宠儿”,生物医学界“惊奇”地将它运用到了各个分支领域。正如两位英国的教授在医学论文中赞美的那样,“阴阳概念提供了一个智慧的架构,它充分体现了中国人的科学思维,特别是在生物学和医学领域。” 通过近年来文献的回顾,我们也清楚地看到,阴阳学说在现代医学中的运用才开始不久,对阴阳精髓的理解还有待于进一步升华,许多论文还只是浮于表面,甚至有些人“错误的运用或滥用也并不奇怪。” 目前从总体来看,关联到阴阳学说的生物医学论文主要还是以非华人作者为主,因此摆在我们全球华人面前的重要课题是如何抓住这个契机,树立自信性,海内外中西医共同给力,将阴阳学说更好地融入生物医学界,“届时我们将在细胞生物学的基础之上完全揭开动态阴阳的奥秘。”可喜的是,在海内外已有不少华人为我们做出了榜样,在发表医学论文的同时也积极地宣扬阴阳学说的精髓实质,因为在生物医学界华人已成为了主力军。 所以,我们完全有理由相信,随着人体生命现象奥秘的不断揭示,中医传统医学与现代生物医学将更加相互渗透,互相补充,最终形成一个医学理论体系中的不同分支,而绝不是任何一方被替代的关系。(全文完) 按:本文的构思已经数年终之久,但怎样从一千余篇海外文献中写好这篇文章述评,心中没底,但看到近来一直有人在反对中医,认为中医不科学,中医本身也信心不足;另一方面,国内分子生物医学界的科学家希望赶超世界水平,但国外的科学家们却津津乐道地研究着中国古代的哲学思想来寻找突破口。这些极大的反差使得我不得不用心来完成这篇文章。以上本人精选了30余篇海外论文,报告大家,只有一个目的,那就是:中国人要树立自信心啊!!!! 张永忠 读沈晓雄的“阴阳:一个风靡现代生物医学界的科学”有感 为弘扬中华文化和发展中国的科学事业而顽强奋斗是每一个中华儿女义不容辞的责任。沈先生花了数年时间,阅读了千余篇每外文献,创作了一部让中华儿女感到自豪的作品,十分值得敬佩! 在自豪的同时,我也隐约地担心,中医学会不会像中国的四大发明一样,传到海外,被人利用,对我们自己带来的好处不多,害处却不少呢?中国的古代哲学思想、中国的传统医学会不会被人家拿去发扬光大,自己却像用指南针来看“风水”,用造纸术来制造烧给死人用的纸钱----草纸,用火药来制作烟花爆竹来炸伤人、烧毁楼呢? 中国啊中国,好好地发展吧! 我理解那些骂中医的人,他们的初衷大都也是为了让中国尽快地发展;我更敬佩那些捍卫中医的人,他们更是为了保护中华民族的宝贵遗产而不屈不挠地顽强奋斗。我觉得我们现在更加需要把我们的宝贵遗产变为新的“生产力”,更好地“扩大再生产”。而不是只让它们流传在民间,成为绵延千年的“遗风”而已。 这就要求每一位捍卫中医学的人:一是要努力把中医学真正理解透彻,力争把其核心的内容与现代科学联系起来;二是要主动地与热爱中医学的其他专业的人士密切合作,特别是要鼓励其他学科领域的人来研究中医学,而不要歧视他们较低的中医学基础;三是要舍得放弃中医学理论中那些与医学关系不大的,甚至是不切实际的空洞的词句。没大必要非得引用《淮南子》、《庄子》、《管子》、《国语》、《尚书》甚至《易经》(有人强调易医想通,我承认在过去是这样,但不主张将来要这样)里边的东西来阐释或助证中医学的哲学思想。而是要尽力用现代科学的概念及知识来阐释或助证中医学的哲学和医学思想。四是要尽力把中医学“病”、“证”的实质与组织细胞,以至分子的变化过程联系起来。在指导思想上不落后,在科学水平上也不能停留在几百年前的水平上。最终把中医学发展成为继承了中国传统哲学思想和生物医学思想,并以中国传统哲学和生物医学思想为指导的,融入了世界最先进的医学技术的,传统中药与现代生物制剂(即人们常说的“西药”)互补共用(但不一定同时用)的世界最高水平的医学。 从几千年前到几百年前,中医学一直是把当时人们最先进的相关的科学知识和技术都应用到医学之中。麻醉、手术、心理开导等都是中医学在世界上最先应用的治疗手段。现在很多人把这些内容都看成是西医的。这不能怪别人,要怪中医学人自己没有很好地发展中医学。较早的《神农本草》只包括了三百六十余种药,到《本草纲目》就发展到了近两千种中药。按照科学知识发展的一般速度,现在应有数万到数十万种中药。但是,实际上的数目要比这少得多。这是为什么呢?个人认为主要是没有把现代科学能够分离提纯或人工合成的化合物发展成中药。一两百年来,中医学面对“西医”只有招架之功,没有还手之力。保守有余,发展不足。再照这样下去,后果很不乐观。
《 科学》杂志2009年8月21日论文以阴阳和谐作为论文的主题词,老外怎么也用起何祚庥院士判死刑的伪科学了? The Yin and Yang of Follicular Helper T Cells A. Awasthi and V. K. Kuchroo The balanced expression of two transcription factors controls the development of a subset of T cells that support B cell maturation. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/325/5943/953 看看英语词典对阴和阳是怎么解释的: yin (阴) n. the dark negative feminine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology 例句:the interaction of yin and yang maintains the harmony of the universe yang (阳) n. the bright positive masculine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology 例句:yin and yang together produce everything that comes into existence