《中英對照讀新聞》Red wine can help prevent stroke damage 紅酒可以預防中風傷害

◎胡立宗

Red wine might work to protect the brain from damage after a stroke and drinking a couple of glasses a day might provide that protection ahead of time, U.S. researchers reported.

紅酒也許可以保護大腦避免中風後的傷害，而每天喝個一兩杯也許可以預先提供防護，美國研究人員指出。

In an effort to better understand how red wine works, the scientists from Johns Hopkins University fed mice a moderate dose of a compound found in red grape skins and seeds before inducing stroke-like damage.

為了更了解紅酒的功效，約翰．霍普金斯大學的科學家在讓小鼠受到類似中風的傷害之前，先餵給牠們適當劑量的紅葡萄皮籽所含的一種化合物。

They discovered that the animals suffered less brain damage than similarly damaged mice who were not treated with the compound, which is called resveratrol.

他們發現，在受到同等傷害的小鼠之中，（有服藥的）動物受到的大腦損傷，比那些沒有服用這種化合物的來得輕。這種化合物名為「白藜蘆醇」。

"When we pre-treat the animals with the compound orally, then we observe that we have a significant decrease in the area of stroke damage by about 40 percent," said Sylvain Dore, the lead researcher for the study.

「當我們用口服化合物預先治療動物，我們觀察到中風受損區域的範圍減少約40%，」研究負責人多爾說。

"What is unique about this study is we have somewhat identified what can be the specific mechanism," in the wine that is good for health, Dore said.

「這個研究特別之處在於，我們多少已確定紅酒內有益身體健康的特殊機制，」多爾說。

The study showed that resveratrol increases levels of an enzyme in the brain—heme oxygenase—that was already known to shield nerve cells from damage.

研究顯示，白藜蘆醇能增加腦中一種酵素—血基質氧化酶，這類酵素已知可以避免神經細胞受損。

新聞辭典

stroke：名詞，打、筆劃、一擊、中風。如︰with a stroke of humanity（帶有人性的筆觸）。

protect from：片語，免於…的（傷害、侵襲）。例句︰High preparedness prevents the city from extreme damage.（完善的準備讓該市免於受到嚴重的損害。）

induce： 動詞，誘導、引發。例句︰We need an agent to induce the expected chemical effect.（我們需要一種觸媒才能引發想要的化學反應）。