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People with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other breathing disorders need fast relief when their airways tighten up. Unfortunately, the most commonly used medication has obnoxious side effects. But scientists recently discovered that a bitter taste can be a more effective treatment—and now they know why. The work is published in PLoS Biology.
患有哮喘、慢性阻礙性肺病以及其它呼吸不暢的病人需要迅速緩和收縮的氣道。不幸的是，最常用的藥物有著令人討厭的副作用。不過，近來科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)苦味是治療效果更好的藥物。現(xiàn)在科學(xué)家們也發(fā)現(xiàn)了其中的原因。這項(xiàng)研究發(fā)表在《公共科學(xué)圖書館·生物學(xué)》上。
When an asthma attack hits, the airway shrinks and makes breathing difficult. To keep air flowing, the sufferer must take medication to relax the passage's muscles and open it back up. But a couple years ago, researchers discovered airways contain bitter taste receptors like the ones on the tongue. After exposure to bitter substances, the receptors can expand the airway more quickly and more effectively than the most commonly used treatment.
當(dāng)哮喘發(fā)作時(shí)，氣道萎縮，導(dǎo)致呼吸困難。為了保證呼吸，患者需要服用藥物來舒緩氣道上的肌肉，使之重新舒張。然而幾年前，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)氣道里包括跟舌頭一樣可以感受苦味的感受器。苦味感受器接觸到苦味物質(zhì)之后，能夠迅速地?cái)U(kuò)張氣道，且比最常用的藥物更快，更有效。
Researchers examined airway tissue to learn why bitterness makes the muscles relax. During an asthma attack, calcium flows into the cells of the airway and contributes to muscle contraction. But bitter substances block the channels that allow calcium into cells, which relaxes the tightened tissue. And that's the opposite of a bitter pill.
研究人員檢查氣道組織后了解了為什么苦味能夠讓肌肉放松。原來哮喘發(fā)作時(shí)，鈣流進(jìn)氣道細(xì)胞，于是導(dǎo)致肌肉收縮。但是苦味物質(zhì)能夠阻礙鈣流入氣道細(xì)胞，所以就能緩解拉緊的組織。這就是良藥苦口利于病。
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