Bitter Taste May Battle Asthma

Bitter Taste May Battle Asthma
苦味可以对抗哮喘
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. [Cheng-Hai Zhang et al., The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Bitter Tastant-Induced Bronchodilation]
有哮喘，慢性阻碍性肺病以及其他呼吸紊乱的人在呼吸道收紧时需要快速放松。不幸的是，大部分常用的药物都有讨厌的副作用。但是最近科学家们发现了一种苦味可以更有效的治疗这些症状——并且他们知道原因。这项工作发表在PLoS Biology. [Cheng-Hai Zhang et al., The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Bitter Tastant-Induced Bronchodilation]
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.
当哮喘侵袭时，呼吸道收缩使用呼吸困难。为了让空气流通，病人必须服药来放松呼吸道的肌肉然后打开它。但是几年前，研究人员发现呼吸道含有苦味接收组织，就像舌头一样。在暴露在苦味下时，接收组织可以比常用药物更快速有效的扩展呼吸道。
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.
研究然源检查了呼吸道组织，来研究为什么苦味让肌肉放松。在哮喘侵袭时，钙流动到呼吸道细胞中使得肌肉收缩。但是苦味物质阻断了钙进入细胞的通道，因而放松了紧张的组织。这跟苦味药物相反。