3. Liver-Stomach Disharmony

3. Liver-Stomach Disharmony

Traditional Chinese Medicine posits that liver-stomach disharmony arises from two mechanisms: first, liver wood overcomes earth; second, spleen earth overpowers wood. In the former case, symptoms include pain in the liver region, dry mouth and throat, irritability, poor appetite, and fatigue; in the latter, symptoms manifest as abdominal distension, intestinal rumbling and diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and flank discomfort. From a Western medical perspective, both scenarios generally reflect autonomic nervous system dysfunction—specifically, the former corresponds to heightened sympathetic nervous system activity, while the latter reflects parasympathetic dominance. Accordingly, domestic scholars have attempted to demonstrate the relationship between liver-stomach disharmony and the autonomic nervous system through various research designs. It is known that the synthesis and secretion of salivary amylase are regulated by the autonomic nervous system. Patients with liver-stomach disharmony typically present with symptoms of liver depression and spleen deficiency. Researchers have continued to conduct experiments using patients with spleen deficiency, finding that under baseline conditions, these patients exhibit increased salivary flow rates and higher enzyme activity, suggesting that parasympathetic nerve tension in the salivary glands is relatively high. However, upon acid stimulation, enzyme activity not only fails to increase but actually decreases, and salivary flow rates are also lower than in healthy individuals. This indicates that although the parasympathetic nervous system in patients with spleen deficiency is hyperactive, its stress response capacity is weaker than normal. Using isotopic ^131^I capsule oral tracing, it has been observed that gastrointestinal emptying in patients with spleen deficiency occurs more rapidly, a phenomenon that can be corrected by intramuscular atropine injection, further confirming the heightened parasympathetic tone in these patients. Research on the functional state of the sympathetic nervous system in patients with spleen deficiency is also underway. Skin potential is a sensitive indicator of sympathetic nervous system central function; in patients with spleen deficiency, whether at rest or under cold stimulation, skin potential is significantly lower than in healthy individuals. After treatment to strengthen the spleen and replenish qi, skin potential shows a marked increase. Urinary VMA levels in patients with spleen deficiency are notably lower than in healthy individuals, and skin electrical activity often correlates with VMA levels^㉘^. Reduced dopamine β-hydroxylase activity is also a characteristic of patients with spleen deficiency, which increases after treatment^㉙^. From a molecular biology standpoint, the reason the autonomic nervous system can influence its target organs lies primarily in neurotransmitter release at autonomic nerve terminals, which binds to corresponding receptors on effector cells, altering intracellular cyclic nucleotide levels and thereby affecting cellular function. Domestic researchers have studied changes in plasma cyclic nucleotide levels in patients with spleen deficiency, with inconsistent results. Preliminary findings suggest that plasma CAMP levels in these patients are relatively low^㉚^, which helps explain the diminished sympathetic nervous system function in cases of spleen deficiency. Although current methods and indicators vary across regions, leading to incomplete consensus on results, preliminary conclusions can be drawn: ① Sympathetic nervous system function is reduced in cases of spleen deficiency, while parasympathetic function is relatively hyperactive; ② Both sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems exhibit reduced stress response capacities^㉛^.

III. Research on the Liver

The liver is one of the five zang organs and is equally important as the spleen and kidneys. Ancient texts contain extensive discussions on the liver, broadly categorized into two aspects: ① The liver belongs to the wood element, characterized by smoothness and free flow, governing dispersal and drainage; when stagnation occurs, illness ensues, potentially leading to earth overcoming wood or fire transformation. ② Liver wood relies on kidney water for nourishment; if water fails to nourish wood, liver yang rises excessively, resulting in wind generation.