REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1642377
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Interaction Between Food Ingredients and Gut Microbiome on Health and DiseaseView all 33 articles
Unraveling the Mysteries of the Gut-Kidney Axis: The Protective Role of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chronic Kidney Disease
Provisionally accepted
- 1Haiyan County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang, China
- 2Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
- 3Jinhua Fifth Hospital, Zhejiang, China
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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) constitutes a globally progressive nephropathy orchestrating inexorable deterioration of renal architecture. The paradigmatic gut-kidney axis unveils sophisticated bidirectional interplay between enteric microbiome and renal homeostatic equilibrium. Dysbiotic perturbations catalyze aberrant accumulation of gut-derived uremic metabolites, attenuate intestinal epithelial fortification, and propagate subclinical inflammatory cascades, synergistically precipitating CKD trajectory acceleration. Contemporary therapeutic arsenals targeting this axis encompass probiotic reconstitution, prebiotic orchestration, synbiotic hybridization, precision nutritional calibration, and enteral sequestrants including AST-120. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) paradigms deploy multifaceted strategies through meticulous microbiota choreography, mucosal barrier reinforcement, and renal fibrogenesis attenuation. Distinguished phytotherapeutics including Rhubarb (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma), Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Poria cocos, synergized with bioactive constituents curcumin and punicalagin, orchestrate nephroprotective virtuosity via intricate microbiome-metabolome networks. Sophisticated polyherbal architectures, exemplified by YQHG and YSHS, harmoniously fortify intestinal impermeability while nullifying uremic translocation. These revelations substantiate the transformative potential of integrative paradigms amalgamating TCM-based phytomedicine with microbiota-directed precision therapeutics for CKD stewardship.
Keywords: Chronic Kidney Disease, Traditional Chinese Medicine, gut-kidney axis, therapeutic strategy, Gut Microbiota, Uremic toxins, Prebiotic and probiotic foods
Received: 06 Jun 2025; Accepted: 30 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Diao, Li, Huang and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ke Sun, hermanh1218@163.com
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