"肺主呼吸"、"通调水道"是中医藏象学理论内容之一。然而"肺主呼吸"与"通调水道"之间存在着怎样的关系？其"通调水道"的现代生物学机制为何？至今尚未明了。 本课题组在对以往研究深入分析的基础上，提出"肺主呼吸"与"通调水道"密切相关及其分子信号途径（Molecular Signal Pathway）假说，拟采用形态学、免疫学、分子生物学等技术，通过小鼠支气管哮喘模型、大鼠慢性阻塞性肺病（COPD）模型、家兔正压扩肺模型，从生理、病理、药物干预等，多角度观察肺的呼吸功能改变，对水液代谢，如尿量、汗液、肺源性肾调控活性物质、细胞内水通道蛋白穿梭等的影响，以验证或否定上述分子信号途径假说。 研究结果具有如下意义：探讨"肺主呼吸"与"通调水道"的相关性及其现代生物学机制，①为阐明中医学肺藏象功能的内涵，揭示"肺为水之上源"的实质，提供科学依据；②为中医临床"提壶揭盖"法的应用，提供实验依据。

"Lung governing breathing" and "water - passage regulation" belong to TCM visceral manifestation theories. However, what kind of relationship between "lung governing breathing" and "water - passage regulation" exists? What are modern biological mechanisms of "water - passage regulation"? These questions have not been cleared yet until now. On the basis of in-depth analysis of previous studies , our group has proposed this hypothesis that "lung governing breathing" should be closely related to "water - passage regulation"and its molecular signal pathway should exist. We will establish a bronchial asthma model in mice, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) model in rats and a positive pressure lung expansion model in rabbits, and will utilize technologies including morphology, immunology and molecular biology in order to observe the impacts of lung respiratory function changes on liquid metabolism, such as urine, perspiration, pulmonary active substances for renal regulation and intracellular aquaporin shuttling, from different aspects of physiology, pathology and drug intervention. According to these, this molecular signaling pathway hypothesis above would be verified or disproved. The research results have the following meanings: exploring the relationship and modern biological mechanisms between "lung governing breathing" and "water - passage regulation" and could provide (1) a scientific basis to clarify connotation of TCM lung visceral manifestation function and to reveal essentials of the lung being the upper source of fluids; (2) experimental evidences for application of TCM clinical method "lifting the lid to pour off water in the pot".