The role of fluid as a fundamental substance in the organism, encompassing its physiology, characteristics, and function, is widely recognized in medical practice. However, the specific distribution path of fluid remains unclear. Most scholars traditionally characterize the circulation of fluid in the category of qi and blood collaterals, a generalized viewpoint that may limit the refinement of treatment strategies based on syndrome differentiation. Therefore, this paper proposes the concept of fluid collaterals as an independent framework for exploration and discussion. This study investigates the origin and flow of similar concepts of fluid collaterals in ancient Chinese medicine texts. Integrating insights from Western medicine, we analyzed the origin and development of fluid collaterals to clarify that the fluid collaterals are the core of the fluid. Fluid collaterals are proposed as the core regulatory mechanism of fluid, where the collaterals serve as a structural framework. Their physiological functions include storing and transforming fluids, linking yingfen (nutritive level) and weifen (defensive level), and mediating the interplay between fluids and blood. Fluid collaterals are conceptualized as a network system that integrates function, structure, and information transmission, enabling seamless connection and coordination between blood and qi collaterals. From this perspective, two pathological conditions are proposed: fluid collateral stagnation and malnutrition. Drawing on the clinical experiences of our team, we presented novel therapeutic approaches for fluid-related diseases, emphasizing treatments tailored to these specific pathological conditions.

fluid collaterals;channels;fluid;blood collaterals;qi collaterals