Exploring the Correlation Between Autophagy and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Based on the"Nutrient-Defense Theory"
XUE Bei
ZHANG Shan
CHENG Miao
GUO Yikun
WANG Mingzhe
BAN Chengjun
JIANG Liangduo
Abstract：Autophagy,as an important mechanism for cellular renewal and metabolism,plays a significant role in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).Nutrient Qi is an essential substance for life activities,nourishing the entire body and maintaining various functions,distributed in the gaps of limbs and small blood vessels,participating in the permeation of body fluids and blood.Defense Qi governs external protection,safeguarding the body and expelling pathogens,and interacts with nutrient Qi to promote the circulation of Qi,blood,and body fluids,thereby maintaining homeostasis.Linking with all vessels,the lungs govern management and regulation.The harmony of nutrient and defense Qi maintains normal pulmonary physiological function.Imbalance between nutrient and defense Qi can lead to lung injury.Based on the nutrient-defense theory,this paper elucidates the mechanisms by which insufficient or dysregulated autophagy contributes to ARDS from the perspectives of nutrient and defense Qi deficiency and disorder.It posits that the coordinated operation of nutrient and defense Qi,which defends against external pathogens,nourishes the lungs,and harmonizes Qi,blood,and body fluids,is correlated with the processes of autophagy in clearing pathogens,maintaining cellular structure and function,and stabilizing inflammatory and immune responses.Furthermore,it proposes methods for treating ARDS by harmonizing nutrient and defense Qi to activate"beneficial autophagy"and inhibit"detrimental autophagy",enriching the theoretical connotation of the pathogenesis of ARDS.
Keywords：Nutrient QiDefense QiAutophagyAcute respiratory distress syndrome
Publication Date：2025-09-28
Online Publishing Date：2025-09-30(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 1537-1542 )