端粒与中医补肾益精的关系

粒是染色体末端独特的DNA－－蛋白质结构，在保护染色体的完整性和维持细胞的复制能力方面起着重要的作用。端粒的长度随着年龄和细胞分裂次数的增加而逐渐变短，因而导致染色体不稳定，因此端粒长度的变化与细胞衰老密切相关。中医理论认为，补肾益精可以延缓衰老，很有可能正是通过补肾益精使端粒获得了稳定，从而控制了细胞的衰老。

Relationship between Telomeres and Recuperating Kidney and Benefiting Essence of Life in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Telomeres are unique DNA peotein complexes at the terminals of chromosomes that play a critical role in protecting chromosomal integrity and in maintaining cellular replicative protential. The length of telomeres gradually decreases with increasing age and cell division number,which can lead to chromosome instability,so the changes in telomere length are closely linked to cell aging. On the basis of theory in TCM,it can promise longevity to tonify kidney and to benefite essence of life. There is a possibility that it is by tonifying kidney and benefiting essence of life that telomeres gain stability,thus controling cell aging.