经济学人: 孤独症 (3)

 Follow-up examinations of the mice in all these experiments looked at the strengths of connections between nerve cells within part of the brain called the ventral tegmental region. 在所有这些实验中，老鼠的后续检查是观察中脑腹侧被盖区神经细胞之间的联系。

This region regulates, among other things, motivation and reward-related social behaviour. 这块区域控制着机动性和奖励性社会行为。

Nerve signals are carried by the movement of ions (electrically charged atoms), 神经信号由离子（带电的原子）运动运载，

so the team were able to measure connection-strength by monitoring the flow of ions at the junctions¹ between nerve cells in this region. 因此团队能够通过监控这块区域内神经细胞连接处的离子流来测量连接强度。

Strong connections, with lots of ion flow, indicated that social experiences were rewarding. 离子流多的强力连接表明社会经验是有益的。

These were normal in the mice exposed to L. reuteri, which makes sense since animals treated with the bacterium² sought out more social experiences. 这些在暴露于罗伊氏乳杆菌的老鼠身长很常见，这也说得通，因为受过细菌治疗的动物会寻求更多的社会经历。

Conversely, weak connections (those with little ion flow) indicated that social experiences were not triggering a reward. 相反，连接薄弱（离子流较少）表明社会经历没有触发奖励。

Such weak connections were found in animals that had not been exposed to the bacterium. 这种薄弱的连接存在于那些没有暴露于细菌的动物体内。

The researchers suspected that such effects were controlled by signals from the gut³ that are being transmitted by the vagus nerve, which connects gut and brain. 研究人员怀疑这种效果是被肠道的信号所控制，由连接肠道和大脑的迷走神经所传输。

To test this idea they cut that nerve in selected animals. In these animals, subsequent treatment with L. reuteri failed to abolish their autistic symptoms. 为了测试这一想法，他们切除了选定动物的神经。在这些动物中，罗伊氏乳杆菌的后续治疗没能消除它们的孤独症症状。

The crucial aspect of this work is L. reuteri's wide availability—an availability approved by regulators such as America's Food and Drug Administration. 这项工作的关键部分在于罗伊氏乳杆菌的广泛可用性—这种可用性得到了监管者，如美国食品和药物管理局的批准。

This existing approval, which means L. reuteri poses no known health hazard, simplifies the process of organising clinical trials. 目前的批准意味着罗伊氏乳杆菌没有已知的健康危害，简化了组织临床实验的过程。

Clearly, autism in people is more complicated than a mere⁴ willingness to associate with others. And getting too excited about a mouse trial is usually a mistake. 明显人类的孤独症比愿不愿意和他人相处更加复杂。对老鼠试验过于兴奋通常是错误的。

But in Dr Costa-Mattioli's view his results, which have been replicated⁵ in part by Evan Elliot's laboratory in Bar-Ilan University, Israel, 但是在Costa-Mattioli博士看来，他的结果（在某种程度上和以色列巴伊兰大学Evan Elliot实验室的结果部分重合）

would justify⁶ embarking⁷ on at least preliminary trials intended to determine whether L. reuteri has positive effects on people with autism, and might thus be worth pursuing. 将至少证明已经可以开始进行初步试验旨在确定罗伊氏乳杆菌是否对孤独症患者有积极效果，并且或许值得继续追寻下去。

Others agree. Sarkis Mazmanian of the California Institute of Technology works in the same area. 其他人同意。加州理工学院的Sarkis Mazmanian也专注于同一领域。

He says of these results: "I think the bar is now very low for getting this research moved on to human trials 他表示：“我认为对人类进行这项研究的门槛现在非常低

since most people already have these bacteria inside them and we know there are few, if any, safety or toxicity⁸ issues." 因为多数人的体内已经有了这些细菌，而且我们知道其中不存在什么安全或毒性问题。”

The general availability of L. reuteri does, however, bring with it another possibility—that people will conduct their own, "off label" trials, 但罗伊氏乳杆菌的一般可用性还带来了其他的可能性—人们将自己进行“未经检验”的试验，

either on themselves or on their children. Dr Mazmanian is cautious about that idea. 要么是对他们自己要么是给他们的孩子进行试验。Mazmanian博士对这个想法持谨慎态度。

"I don't know if there is a barrier to people buying and using this stuff now. “我不知道人们现在购买和使用东西是否有阻碍。

It may be strain-specific and the paper does not state which strain or strains were used," he says. 这种东西可能是毒株特异性的，论文中并没有表明使用的是哪一种或哪几种菌株，”他说。

At the moment, Dr Costa-Mattioli is unwilling⁹ to divulge¹⁰ that information. He is expecting to publish another paper soon, though, with more details. 此时，Costa-Mattioli博士不愿透露该信息。他期待能够很快发表另一篇论文，披露更多细节。

In practice, it may be hard to discourage people from testing L. reuteri's effects themselves. All the more reason to do properly conducted trials quickly. 实际上，或许很难阻止人们不去自行测试罗伊氏乳杆菌的效果。因此更加有理由迅速进行恰当的向导性试验。

 

1 junctions   

联结点( junction的名词复数 )； 会合点； （公路或铁路的）交叉路口； （电缆等的）主结点

参考例句：

• Metals which were mutually soluble would tend to give strong junctions. 可互溶的金属趋向于产生牢固的结合点。
• Some adhering junctions are present as narrow bands connecting two cells. 有些粘附连接以一窄带的形式连接两个细胞。

2 bacterium   

n.(pl.)bacteria 细菌

参考例句：

• The bacterium possibly goes in the human body by the mouth.细菌可能通过口进入人体。
• A bacterium is identified as the cause for his duodenal ulcer.一种细菌被断定为造成他十二指肠溃疡的根源。

3 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

4 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

5 replicated   

复制( replicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• Later outplant the seedlings in a replicated permanent test plantation. 以后苗木出圃栽植成重复的永久性试验林。
• The phage has replicated and the donor cells have lysed. 噬菌体已复制和给体细胞已发生裂解。

6 justify   

vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护

参考例句：

• He tried to justify his absence with lame excuses.他想用站不住脚的借口为自己的缺席辩解。
• Can you justify your rude behavior to me?你能向我证明你的粗野行为是有道理的吗？

7 embarking   

乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• He's embarking on a new career as a writer. 他即将开始新的职业生涯——当一名作家。
• The campaign on which were embarking was backed up by such intricate and detailed maintenance arrangemets. 我们实施的战争，须要如此复杂及详细的维护准备。

8 toxicity   

n.毒性，毒力

参考例句：

• The hoarse grunt or squeal is characteristic of toxicity.嘶哑的哼声和叫声是中毒的特征。
• Dieldrin is related to aldrin,and its toxicity to earthworms is similar.狄氏剂与艾氏剂有关，对蚯蚓的毒性是相似的。

9 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

10 divulge   

v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布

参考例句：

• They refused to divulge where they had hidden the money.他们拒绝说出他们把钱藏在什么地方。
• He swore never to divulge the secret.他立誓决不泄露秘密。